


Into My Debt

by DancesWithSeatbelts



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-27 14:05:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 49
Words: 108,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1713302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancesWithSeatbelts/pseuds/DancesWithSeatbelts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levy asks for help from Gajeel and he delivers. The only problem is he requires an unspecified favour in return. Levy and Gajeel become better acquainted and interact with many of the regulars of the Fairy Tail Guild. Levy decides to initiate a relationship with Gajeel.  Fairly fluffy action and mature content in later chapters. Companion story to Mission: It's a Bet!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Oh! Hi guys! Funny running into you......" Levy giggled and audibly gulped at the naked yearning visible between Lucy and Natsu.

Lucy smiled and rose gracefully up from the bench. Addressing Levy, she gestured to the picnic basket. "Why don't you and Gajeel enjoy this portable feast. We," at this she pointed to Natsu, "are going back to my apartment to finish our date. I don't care who knows, we're meant to be together and don't need to hide anything."

Natsu bounced up from his seat and reached for Lucy's hand. "I'm all fired up!" Linking fingers, they raced off without another word to the flabbergasted Levy and Gajeel.

"I did tell you this was a stupid idea, didn't I Shrimp?"

"Shut up and pick up the picnic basket. We're gonna enjoy the hell out of some free food." Levy stomped her feet and crossed her arms, glaring at the Iron dragon slayer. 

Gajeel smirked and docilely lifted the basket. Mira packed this, and if I know Mira like I think I do, I'm going to end up cooking breakfast for two. Gi hehe he!

 

"Lead the way Shrimp." Gajeel uttered this in as bored a tone as he could manage. Don't wanna let her know how much I like her. Once they get the upper hand, dames are too much trouble to deal with. Keep'em off balance and they're putty in your hands. "Ain't your curfew soon?" The tall dragon slayer looked down over at Levy and smirked.

"I might look like a child because of my short stature, but I assure you my status as an adult is not to be questioned." Levy delivered this set down ironically with her nose in the air, petulantly acting childish. "My favourite tree is over this way." Walking briskly she traversed the remaining distance to the park and entered a side entrance framed by a vine covered arch.

Gajeel happily watched Levy's hips sway under the short skirt portion of her usual dress. A group of young men swarmed out of the park as Levy stepped under the arch. Two of the males smiled and briefly exchanged pleasantries with the petite blue haired girl. Allowing his fangs to descend he made sure to glare at them as they exited the park in front of him. A low rumbling growl helped them scurry to catch up to their gang.

Standing with one hand one hand on her hip, Levy beckoned Gajeel with the other. "Come on! I'm hungry. My spot is over in this far corner."

"Don't get used to bossing me around little girl. You should try being nicer to someone you owe an unspecified favour to, gi hehe!"

"I'm sure we can come to an amicable agreement Gajeel." Levy had relaxed a bit after the failed meddling with Lucy and Natsu, and her gentle and earnest nature was settling back into place. She walked deeper into the park and followed a seldom used path to the northernmost corner. "Hey! I wonder what Mira packed."

"Don't wonder too much, open it up and find out." The basket hit the ground with a solid thunk as Gajeel dropped it in front of Levy. A tentative smile blossomed on her face and she dropped to her knees and unlatched the basket. Levy picked up the blanket nestled on top of the food and thrust it at Gajeel. Only frowning slightly, he shook it out and placed it over a thick patch of grass. As typical picnic fare was unpacked, Gajeel's anticipation died down. Where's the aphrodisiacs? Is Mira losing her touch? How am I going to get with Levy without help?

Levy sat down awkwardly, trying to keep her knees together. "You know, you don't have to stick around if you don't want to. You probably have something better to do....." She fussed with the containers of food, not raising her gaze to her companion.

"I never figured you for selfish. All that food for two people, and you don't wanna share." Gajeel's rumbling voice claimed Levy's attention and she looked up to see him cross his arms. "And" he emphasized, "after I carried that heavy, heavy basket for you. You used me for my muscles and now you don't have any further use for me. That's cold Shrimp."

Levy gasped in outrage. "That's not it at all! I made you help me find Lucy and Natsu! I dragged you out here without regard for what you might have planned for tonight! I was just......just........just shut up and sit down and eat!"

Gajeel lowered himself to the picnic blanket and sat cross-legged opposite of Levy. Snapping out orders makes Levy even sexier. He sneaked a peek at the blue haired girl and watched as she piled a plate with food. Gauging her movements, he reached for grapes at the same instant. He grinned to himself as she blushed and dropped the cluster of fruit. Silently he filled his own plate with an assortment of items and began eating. After ten minutes of reflection, he set down his plate and rummaged in the basket pulling out two small bottles of plum wine.

Levy was surprised at the suddenly outthrust bottle under her nose. "Wha-? Oh thanks Gajeel. This is a really good vintage.....you like other kinds of wine?" Dumb! It's not like he picked this out on purpose! Mira packed this - he's just thirsty and anything is better than nothing! She opened the bottle and took a nervous sip, forcing her eyes to look calmly at the Iron dragon slayer.

"If yer askin' me questions, I guess I don't have to shut up anymore." His piercings glinted in the mid-evening light as he twitched his face in what Levy guessed was a smile. "I've had this wine before and It's always been good." The tension surrounding them dropped and slipped away as the sun gracefully began to sink below the horizon.

"So, what else do you like?" Levy was still concerned with keeping her modesty intact and was looking down when she questioned her companion. Gajeel mouthed the word 'you' and gave a real from the soul smile which he cut off the second Levy started to look up.

"Iron, Lily, fighting, singing, stuff like that." He snapped his features back to what most people call 'resting bitch face' and calmly kept eating from his plate. Inwardly he smirked as Levy got red in the face and squinty around the eyes.

"That's not what I meant and you know it! We were conversing about vintages. I had no idea you enjoyed fine wines." She couldn't help herself as she flat-out glared at Gajeel. I'm trying to get to know you better, and you're being an ass-hat about it. "It took me a while to grow accustomed to wine. Not everybody grows to acquire the taste for it. Both Jet and Droy prefer beer."

"I enjoy most beverages, but you won't catch me drinking milk. Judging from the size of you, you avoid milk like the plague." He enjoyed the fire snapping from her eyes and the way her minute hands clenched into the tiniest of deadly fists.

Knowing her breathing was becoming loud and unruly, Levy pushed down her irritation and compressed it into a small box in her mind, promising to deal with it later, much later. "I drink plenty of milk! McGarden's just happen to be a family with smaller sized members. Some people say what we lack in size, we make up for in brain power." She began toying with her food, pushing the remnants of her selections to the side.

Gajeel set down his food and fished in the basket for more drinks, this time coming up with two beers. "Didja acquire the taste for beer?" He unscrewed the containers and offered one to Levy. She took it and he clinked his bottle against hers. "Here's to the favour you owe me." Levy put the cool bottle to her lips and sucked down close to half of her beer.

"What on Earthland can I do for you that you couldn't do for yourself?" Levy scooted just a little bit closer to Gajeel. "You're so strong, I can't imagine what you'd need me for at all." Concentrating on this minor mystery, she took another deep drink.

The muscular man crossed his arms and looked up into the leafy canopy of the sakura trees. "I'm not ready to talk about that just yet. Just know that you'll have to trust me and do what I ask you to." He took a sip of his beer and met her innocent gaze with his intense eyes hooded. "I can tell you the speed of this favour will depend solely on you. If you're not the one to help me, it can't be accomplished."

Soft-hearted, Levy was both intrigued and humbled by Gajeel's admission. What does he mean, I'm the only one who can help him? I'm smart, but there's always somebody smarter.....or cuter....better endowed......and the list goes on and on. Lightly patting Gajeel's knee, Levy downed her beer and smiled. "I'll do my best!"

I never thought you wouldn't try your best Levy. "Make sure you do, Shrimp." He laughed and finished his drink. "There's two beers left, you want another one?"

Levy nodded and giggled. "I don't usually indulge, but why not?" I'm perfectly safe with Gajeel - I'm short and not busty and while I'm somewhat pretty, I can't compete with most of the girls in the guild. He's tall, dark and sexy in a broody kind of way. He'll catch an Amazon's eye. She took a small sip of her second beer and set it down in order to gather the food containers and repack the picnic basket. Gajeel sat cross legged, nursing his beverage and watched Levy busy herself cleaning.

"Say, why wasn't Lily with you tonight?" Levy mused quietly. "Ever since you met in Edolas, you two have been nearly inseparable."

"Gi he he! No one, not even me tells Lily what he can or can't do!" Taking another swig of his beer, Gajeel inched a little closer to Levy. "He takes off with Charle and Happy sometimes. Why do you ask?"

Feeling anxious under the steely gaze of the Iron dragon slayer, the petite girl flushed. "No special reason, just making conversation. We're nakama and I don't think we've ever spent this much time together just us........alone." Levy gave a bland smile as she uttered the word 'alone', trying to gauge Gajeel's thoughts. If Lucy and Natsu can finally hook-up, then I can too. Gajeel can be practice - he still feels guilty for what he did to my team when we first met. I might owe him a favour, but he subconsciously feels a deep obligation for hurting me. This will do nicely. "Hanging out with Erza and the others is different. Speaking of that, how was that new bakery?"

Disgruntled with the path the discussion was taking, Gajeel snorted and took his time replying. "Next meeting of the Dessert Club will be at the ice cream shop in Gray's neighbourhood."

Scrunching up her face, Levy rose to her knees and brushed Gajeel's unruly hair over behind his ear and examined his ear. He blushed and half-heartedly pushed Levy's delicate hands away from his head. "Oi! What do you think you're doing?"

"I was checking to see if you had potatoes growing in your ear, preventing you from understanding my questions. I asked how the new bakery was, and you deflected with a statement. What happened at the bake shop?"

"Nothin' much. Ate a bunch of sugary crap and listened to Erza pontificate over the merits of chocolate ganache versus vanilla cream filling. Juvia was kinda quiet this time though, she was busy scribbling on a bunch of napkins and when the Salamander wandered into the shop, he stank of mating pheromones."

Levy plopped down, feeling stunned. Embarrassment was forefront in her mind and then anger sparked to life within her. "You mean that you could smell that he and Lucy had been together and were a couple? If you could tell, then any other dragon slayer could have smelt the truth......and that means Lucy would never have been sure who spilled the beans!"  
"I told you it was a stupid idea from the get go, Shrimp." He ran one large hand through his unruly hair and sighed. "I guess I can release you from my debt. Never figured you for a whelsher though." Gajeel put his empty drink container into the basket and started to push himself up.

Levy grabbed a lock of his hair and yanked. "I am not a whelsher. You did what I asked and I will fulfill all obligations." She glared up at his stoic face. "I don't know what it is about you, but you make me........not myself."


	2. Gajeel Walks Levy Home to Fairy Hills

Gajeel slowly nodded. "Ya ever feel that sometimes just by lookin' at ya, people expect certain things?" He stood up and extended a hand to Levy. "I don't have a freaking clue what to expect from you."

She allowed him to draw her up. "Well, I expect you to be yourself." Levy swept her hands down her skirt to brush off any stray debris from their al fresco dining. Gajeel's eyes chased her hands sweeping across her derriere. "Pick up the blanket and fold it so I can finish my drink?" Without waiting for a reply, she bent over to grab her beverage and began to chug it down.

"Gi hehe! You are a bossy little thing!" The pierced mage shook the blanket and folded it neatly, tucking it back into the wicker basket. "You'll let me walk you home and return the basket to the guild tomorrow." He held his hand out for her empty bottle, palm up. 

She dropped her container into his grip and smiled impishly. "Thanks! This was a very nice picnic." Levy took a deep breath of the evening air holding it for a long pause and slowly allowing it to escape. The sakura trees in this portion of the park were smaller and decidedly fragrant. White petals clustered thick all over the tree she stood under. "Everybody loves the rainbow Sakura, but I like this variety even more. It's not as showy, but it has a simple beauty."

"Uh huh," grunted Gajeel. Sometimes the perception of beauty is skewed by popular consensus, but rooted deep is the attraction of like to like - similar souls will find their paths to one another. "Ya, it's nice for trees."

"You have no romance in your soul do you?" Levy laughed. "I guess you spend more time training your muscles for fighting than expanding your mind.....oh shit! I didn't mean anything by that Gajeel! I don't think you're stupid, you just don't come across as.......I'm not making this any better am I? I didn't mean to sound like I was judging you by your appearance!" Her cheeks already rosy from the alcohol imbibed flamed even brighter. "Didn't I just shoot my mouth off about McGarden's being so smart? Can we blame me being tipsy for my poor choice of words?"

"Oi, it's alright Shrimp. Don't small bodies have small minds? Gi hehe! I've come to terms with people's expectations a long time ago. There's nothing I can do about other people's choices, I'm the only one in control of what I choose to do." He grinned down at Levy's somewhat shocked face. "I only look like I don't have a sense of humour."

"Well, I'm sorry for my poor word choice and if I said anything that hurt your feelings." Levy's face kept flaming and she tried to brush the extra heat away swiping at her visage with the backs of her hands. When that failed, she nervously tugged and adjusted her hair band. Shrugging and shaking her head, she trotted ahead of Gajeel who was toting the basket.

We all say things we wish we hadn't, but a good person apologizes as soon as they can - and Levy is gooooood inside and out. Gajeel savoured the sight of Levy's cute little ass swaying in front of him, her drunkenness putting more swing in her step. "Don't worry Shrimp. I'm a big boy and words ain't gonna hurt me. You live in Fairy Hills, right?"

Levy turned around and nodded. "Yup!" A very big boy, I could climb you like a tree...... Biting her lip, her flush swamped her cheeks yet again and she whirled around to dash ahead of Gajeel.

"Hey! I ain't your pack mule! I don't mind carrying the basket, but I refuse to follow five steps behind!" Gajeel grumbled and started walking faster. The crowds thinned out once they passed out of the zone surrounding the cherry tree park. The shaggy haired mage drew even with Levy and kept pace.

"I never thought you were my pack mule, Gajeel." Levy rubbed her arms and lightly shivered. "I appreciate you carrying the picnic leftovers. You know, I can make it home by myself." She stopped and smiled. "It's okay, you must have something better to do than escort me."

"I don't go back on my word either, Bookworm." With a frown, Gajeel shifted the hamper from one hand to the other. "I said I'd take you home and I will, no arguing." Levy shivered again and he sighed. Wordlessly, he stripped out of his jacket and placed it around her thin shoulders.

The heat from his body-warmed coat was wonderful for Levy. The scent of dragon slayer was a complicated mix of iron, faint cologne, healthy sweat and something else elusive that Levy just couldn't place. "Thanks for everything Gajeel."

"I didn't do nothin' that anybody else wouldn't have. Come on, let's get moving or we'll be watching the sun rise before you know it." Gajeel started walking again and gently pushed Levy into motion.

"Mmmm! Watching the sun rise would be such a romantic first date! Hey no worries Gajeel! Just speaking hypothetically!" Levy sighed deeply and had such a look of intense yearning on her face Gajeel stumbled watching the play of emotions across her features. "We're a block away from the girl's dorms. We're gonna have to be quiet!"

Levy latched onto Gajeel's hand and refused to let go as she opened the rear exit of the apartment complex. Whispering, "Shhhh!" she giggled and led him up the stairs to her room. Quickly she opened the door to her place and hauled in his unresisting body. "I thought you might like to see some of my books! I bet there's something we have in common we can talk about in the piles of my 'treasures'!" She scampered over to the near wall and flipped the light switch on a floor lamp.

Gajeel set down the basket just inside the door and using his foot, he made sure the door closed. "Don't freak, I just don't want Titannia finding me and breaking my head open."

The rush of excitement Levy felt when he closed the door died as he spoke. Makes sense, I think they're pretty evenly matched skill and power-wise, but he's so much a gentleman.......he wouldn't want to fight a woman. "So, I have shelves and piles of really interesting books, brochures and booklets. See anything that grabs you?" The diminutive mage waved her hand at her massive collection of reading material.

The iron dragon slayer gamely examined the stacks of books and despite himself became intrigued with some rare titles dealing with music theory. "Hah! I've only heard rumours of this book! How'd you get a copy?"

Levy approached Gajeel and tugged the book out of his hands to examine it. "Oh, I've had that for a long time! I went through a phase for music appreciation close to six years ago. You want to borrow it?" She tilted her head and gently placed the book back into his hands. "Go ahead, I don't mind." Smiling she turned and went into the kitchen. "Want a drink for the road? I've got water, sake, beer and milk."

She kept smiling as she imagined Gajeel frowning and gagging drinking milk. A soft touch on her elbow made her spin around and almost drop the glasses she was carrying. "Crap! You scared me!"

"Shhhh! Gi hehe!" Gajeel mocked. "I thought you said to be quiet. I'll take a glass of water, feel free to have whatever you want, though."

She poured his drink and something a bit stronger for herself. Walking back into her main living area; she plopped herself down on the couch, patting the seat beside her. "C'mon and visit a bit. Is there anything else about Natsu and Lucy you can tell me?"

Gingerly, he sat down on the overstuffed couch. Squinting confusedly, Gajeel frowned. "What's with the switch in topic? I don't know too much more than you know. They're together, Bunny girl said so and Salamander didn't deny it." Gajeel sipped his water and put it down on another stack of books, keeping the rare tome of music theory on his lap. "Do I look like a chick to you? I ain't yer girlfriend."

Her mouth tremulous, Levy looked down at her lap. "I was just trying to work out what bets will be gone and done with from the wagering ledger." Not really, I just want to pick your brain. "I'm saving up for some special books."

Discomfited, Gajeel fidgeted on the couch. "Sorry. All I could tell was they've been spending a lot of time and physical contact with each other. I don't generally dig into their scent trails because I don't want to know."

"They've always spent a massive amount of time together. How was his scent different in the cake shop?" Levy's eyebrows scrunched together and she fairly glared at her companion. "Before you said something about mating pheromones. This is different from sex? Mating is sex, but just sex and not mating is different?"

"Damn Shorty! This is a bit too much!" Gajeel pushed himself further from Levy on the couch like distancing himself from her would stem her outrageous questions. "I don't know if you really need to understand the difference!" His face flushed and he nervously darted his eyes from Levy's intent face to studying the music tome in his lap.

"I just like figuring stuff out. It's not there's a series of books called 'Dragon Mating for Dummies'. Lucy is my best friend and you're a dragon slayer and I figured understanding what she's going through would be supportive." Levy gave Gajeel a lop-sided smile. "Tell me whatever you're comfortable with - remember, I'm nakama."

Yah, that doesn't make it any easier to spill dragon secrets into the ear of the girl I wanna get into the panties of. "Shrimp, this is a subject for another day. I gotta vamoose before my luck runs out." He didn't wait for Levy to reply; merely levered himself up and snatched up the picnic basket, tossing the music book inside. "I had a great time tonight. We will discuss the favour you owe me at a later date."

Levy fairly pursued him through her apartment, only stopping at the threshold as he exited. Eyes shining, she whispered, "Goodnight!" A faint grunt was her only response. Closing the door, she slumped against it and giggled. Oh, you're gonna tell me all about dragon mating and sex - and by tell me, I really mean show me.


	3. Big Decision

Levy slept the sleep of the innocent. Snoring lightly, she splayed her limbs in complete abandonment. In the middle of the night the hem of her gown twisted so much she discarded it and finished sleeping without. A light blanket covered her and was what she cast aside in the morning. Smacking her lips and rubbing at her eyes, she made her way to her bathroom and began her wake-up routine.

After a filling breakfast, she debated visiting Lucy whilst drinking one last cup of tea. I totally want to talk to my best friend, but odds are she's still 'taking care of business' with Natsu. Hmmm.....do I go to the guild or visit Lucy? She sat at her dining room table and struggled with her decision for another half hour. Shit! I'll just go to the library and start research on dragon mating and THEN decide.

Pleased with her course of action, Levy finished dressing and grooming. Taking her old library books with her, she ran over to the nearest branch of Magnolia's book lending service. Exchanging pleasant smiles with the librarian and depositing her used books, Levy then strode into the research section of the building and began digging for information.

Two hours passed and Levy was dusty and cranky. Love it when all the information contradicts itself! NOT! She piled more filthy (and not in a good way) tomes off to the side and dug back into the lower shelf, pulling older and more fragile books out to see the light of day. After amassing a goodly amount, she spread them on a table and began perusing them. Having left her speed reading glasses at the guild she was briefly tempted to curse, but restrained herself. Dammit! Should I skim these or give up and dash over to the guild?

A soft touch on her elbow shocked her into awareness. Looking frantically left and right, she spied Gajeel. Breaking her promise to herself, she swore. "Shit! What are you doing here?"

"Don't get yer panties in an uproar! I was sent over here by Mira! She wanted you to have your gale force reading glasses back." He gently placed her glasses on top of one of the stacks of books.

"H-h-how'd you find me, Gajeel?" Levy sputtered. "I was about to go to the guild anyway." She tried patting off some of the book dust she was covered in, and shaking her skirt clean. "Just researching.....stuff....."

"I wasn't gonna ask Shorty." Gajeel sneezed. "Damn dust gets all up my nose!" He sneezed again so hard, he knocked several books off the table he stumbled against. Picking them up, he noticed the assorted titles, all referring to dragon mating. Gi hehe! Levy has some interest in dragon mating! Can't help her there, but I'm an expert in dragon sex...... 

"What's with the weird look on your face?" 

Gajeel sneezed again and backed away from the table. "I gotta get out of here. See ya at the guild little girl!" Weird look? That's my thinking about sex with you face. He backed away and slipped one of the tomes off the table and held it behind his back. Making sure Levy was not watching him, he spun around and headed to the check-out counter. I've got some reading to do, let's see what this author thinks they know about dragons.

 

Sprawled comfortably on his couch, Gajeel read the book Of Dragons by Phineas Phog. He skimmed most of the boring areas and concentrated on the areas pertinent to his interest. Every now and again, a gruff chuckle would escape him, causing Lily to glance over from his own book. "Hah! Like that would ever happen!" Gajeel snorted, "If you know what you're doing, that ain't gotta happen! Really!"

Lily set down his reading material and hopped up on the couch. "What the hell has got you so worked up? I thought you were working on getting with Levy. Call me crazy, but how does that work with you here and not with her?" He wrestled the book out of Gajeel's grip and examined it. "Why do you need to read this?"

Sneering, the metal pierced mage snatched his book back. "I'm doing research to learn what Levy will learn - maybe I'll find something I can use to my advantage." He re-opened the book to his previous spot and continued to read. "This guy has some pretty effed up notions." Pointing to an illustration Gajeel snorted. "Right here, it shows a dragon and dragon slayer fighting over the same dame. Not gonna happen!"

Lily nodded and shrugged. "You don't have to contend with any dragons, there's less than a half dozen men interested in Levy that I know of. She's nice and all, but not stacked like Lucy, fierce like Erza or cute like Juvia. We have Jet and Droy that we can put on the list and cross off, immediately. If Levy wanted any of that, she'd be married already and working on pushing out a second brat by now."

Growling low in his throat, Gajeel snapped the book shut. "I don't want to hear you talking about her like that!" Scowling, he set down the tome and jumped up to stalk into the kitchen. Pouring himself a large glass of water, he reined in his furious feelings. Walking back into his living room with his beverage, he sat back down and addressed Lily. "Sorry I snapped - but don't be crude about Levy."

"No worries, I was doing my own research. Gi hehe! Looks like you might be after a little more than some slap and tickle!" Lily sprouted his wings and flew out of the path of the hastily thrown pillow.

Shell shocked, Gajeel sat cross-legged on his couch and didn't even flinch when Lily dropped the cushion back onto the couch by way of his head. I've never felt this way over a dame before, I never thought I was deserving or capable........It's always been casual and easy to move from chick to chick. He sat unmoving, lost in his thoughts until Lily wandered back into the room and clawed at his leg.

"What the eff! Do I have to bring back the spray bottle of water? Use your words dammit!"

"I think we should go into the guild for lunch and find a mission we could go on with Levy. Or are you afraid?" Lily snickered. "Failing that, we could just hang out and see what happens - or orchestrate some action." The black exceed hopped onto the couch and waved his paw in front of Gajeel's face. "Oi! Pay attention!"

"I'm thinking!" Gajeel scratched his head and then pounded his fist into his palm. "She still has my coat, she owes me an unspecified favour and she's poking her cute little nose into researching dragon mating. Together, we can work this to my advantage."

 

After using the gale-force reading glasses at the library, Levy was able to pare down her selections to a manageable amount of four books. Pleased with her morning's work, she dashed back to her living quarters and washed up for her trip to the guild. In her washroom she quickly tidied her hair, washed dust off her face and applied lip gloss. I could change my outfit to something nicer, but that just smacks of trying too hard. I'll just play it by ear for now, but tonight I'll draw up a plan of attack. Instead of punches, I want to land some kisses!

She pulled open her hallway closet door and chose a lightweight jacket. Oh yah, I still have Gajeel's coat - I'm gonna hold onto that for a bit. It smells so damn good! Levy threw on the coat and exited her apartment. The hallways of the dormitory were quiet and seemed deserted until she neared Juvia's rooms. Loud thumps, muffled curses and knocking noises made Levy hasten past the water mage's door. The walk from Fairy Hills to the Fairy Tail Guild was moderately long but uneventful.

Levy entered the guild hall and strode towards the bar that Mira stood behind, polishing already sparkling glasses. She was humming happily and conversing with her sister who was sitting on a bar stool, finishing her lunch.

"Hey Lisanna, what do you think Natsu and Lucy are doing right now?" Mira tried to keep a solemn look on her face, but almost immediately her lips twitched and both sisters broke out into strident laughter.

"Hi Levy!" Lisanna greeted the solid script mage through her giggles. "What do you think Natsu and Lucy are doing right now?" Levy looked perplexed as the Strauss sisters lost composure again and began sniggering. "Don't mind us! Lucy's your best friend and you're gonna have a front row seat to the 'Too Much Information' show!"

Discomfited, Levy nervously toyed with a strand of her hair, curling it over and over around her finger. "Well, I do want some information.........and you two are just the ladies that have the expertise to solve my little problem." She hopped onto the barstool next to the younger sibling and spun from side to side, perusing the crowd intently. "Can you both keep a secret?"

Mira smiled widely and nodded as did Lisanna. "Tell us!" They squealed in unison, breaking down in laughter yet again.

Once more, Levy furtively scoped out the locations of the other guild members, relaxing slightly when she judged everyone was far enough away to not overhear her conversation. "I've come to a big decision and.......this is hard......I want to seduce a man."

Utter silence greeted this statement. Levy looked from Lisanna's glassy eyes to Mira's shocked face. Snapping her fingers at the both of them, they came back to life and tittered uneasily.

"Um....." Mira slowly whispered. "What prompted this?" The barmaid picked her bar rag up and started polishing the counter, like the faster she rubbed, the more sense she'd make of Levy's announcement.

Lisanna blinked owlishly at Levy. "Er, are you after Jet or Droy?"

"No!" Levy hissed. "I'm not ready to say just who yet, but I'll tell you in due time. I only figured out what I wanted last night. I don't know that I want a relationship, but I know I have needs." Her face flushed a dark red and she thunked her head on the counter. "Seeing Natsu and Lucy together last night just sparked something in me - I want some romance."

Both take-over mages patted Levy on the shoulder. Mira turned away and grabbed a bottle of tequila and three shot glasses. Efficiently she poured and placed salt and slices of lime within reach. "Time to put on your big girl panties Levy. Let's do shots and talk shop."

Levy pushed herself up from the bar surface and nodded meekly; reconsidered her reaction and decided to slam her fist down. "Yah! Time to work towards my goal."

Mira whipped off her apron and bellowed into the backroom. "Kinana! I'm done my shift! You're on deck right now, please!" Smiling brightly, she turned back and slid over the bar top. "I've always wanted to do that!" She sat on the other side of Levy and grabbed her shot. "C'mon guys, pick up your drinks - let's do this!"

Lisanna and Levy picked up their shots, and grinned at each other and Mira. Together the girls imbibed salt, gulped the tequila and sucked on their lime wedges and slammed the empty glasses on the bar.

"Damn! It burns so good!" gasped Levy. "Let's move on to girl drinks soon. I wanna live to seduce my man."


	4. Eye Candy

Lisanna gurgled with laughter. "Kinana, pour us a round, please. I have a toast to propose." Obligingly, Kinana refilled the shot glasses. "Here's to Levy and her quest!"

Again the girls downed their shots and after they banged them down on the bar, Levy was startled into remembering her need for privacy. "Not so loud!" Levy could feel her cheeks heat up. "We should move to a private room - or somewhere else....."

Mira chuckled softly and hugged herself, rocking on her barstool. Levy and Lisanna looked quizzically at her. The barmaid's big blue eyes shined with excitement. "I just had the best idea! We need another girl in this club - and who better than someone with the freshest experience with romance?"

Squirming on her seat, the younger Strauss sister nodded rapidly. "Yes! Let's go over to Lucy's apartment and snoop, I mean, get some first hand intelligence!" Lisanna looked over at Levy and gently smiled. "You were gonna tell her all about your plans anyway, right? This way, we'll all be on the same page."

Levy nodded, her hazel eyes lighting up as she felt confidence build in herself. Jumping off her barstool she shouted, "Let the quest begin!" In a giggling pack, the three girls started toward the front door of the guild, chattering excitedly to each other.

"I figure either they won't answer the door, or Lucy'll be only too happy to answer the door!" Lisanna guffawed as Mira elbowed her and made a lewd face. 

Levy was paying more attention to her friends than to where she was going and walked right into Gajeel as he entered the guild hall. "Sorry!" She ducked her head and scurried outside. Mira and Lisanna exchanged glances and went into fresh gales of laughter; each giving the tall man a mock salute, they hurried after Levy.

Lily gave Gajeel a disgusted look. "I told you to get your ass in gear, now she's out with the sexy sisters. Well, let's go look at the job board and check what's available." Gajeel and his exceed walked over and began perusing the missions. "Catch bandits, trap thieves, catch wild animals......nothing that we'd need Levy for at all!"

Gajeel scowled at the papers on the board. "Shit! Why can't there be something up her alley? Like something to do with books. Did I tell you she had a metric shit-tonne of books in her apartment?"

Sprouting his wings, Lily flew to the top of the board to read more notices. "Yah, you told me that twice so far. We'll find something!"

 

Levy, Lisanna and Mira boisterously argued in front of Lucy's apartment building.

"I think we should just run up the stairs and make a lot of noise! If they're getting it on, it'll alert them!" shouted Lisanna. "I bet her neighbours will thank us!" She thrust her hands into her pockets and sulked. "The wind is picking up and I wanna get inside."

Levy nodded and exclaimed, "Good idea! But we can't go in there empty handed! We should have stopped to get a hostess gift! Especially since we're uninvited!"

Mira giggled and tugged at her companions sleeves. She pointed up and laughed harder as the other two girls lifted their gazes to Lucy's bedroom window to see the pink haired mage sticking his head out.

"Shut up and get inside!" Natsu closed the window with a bang and turned back to Lucy. "Your friends are here, I'm gonna run to the guild."

Lucy pouted as she levered herself into a sitting position on the bed. "Give them back." She stretched out her hand and fluttered her eyelashes at the pink haired man-boy.

Natsu grinned wolfishly. "No, I won them fair and square. They're mine and going into my dragon treasure hoard. I might let you try to win them back tonight - but you're gonna have to convince me with a good-bye kiss in front of your friends." He pulled on his pants and fastened the buckle, shoving the lace trimmed panty into one of the front pockets.

"That's blackmail you jerk!" Lucy shrieked. "They will interrogate me for every last detail!" The blonde pushed her way out of the bed and kicked the shredded remains of clothing into the middle of the room. She flounced over to her dresser and snatched up some underclothes and wriggled into them as fast as she could. Rummaging in her t-shirt drawer, she found one of her favourites and pulled that on. Bending over, she went to the next drawer in search of shorts and donned those in short order. "Help me clean up all these ruined night gowns."

"You want me to burn that or get the garbage pail?" Natsu smirked, remembering how much fun it had been to rip them off his mate's body.

Sourly, Lucy rolled her eyes at her lover. "Get the kitchen garbage - do not burn anything, ever, please." He padded over to her and enfolded her in his arms, hugging a startled "Eeep!" from Lucy before she relaxed into his embrace. "Thanks, I needed that."

"That's what she said!" Natsu quipped. He stoically bore the pinch his girlfriend delivered to his posterior. "Hey, I'm interested in more, if that's what you want. But Levy is knocking at the door."

Regretfully, Lucy pushed out of his hold. "I'll get the door, you get the garbage." She leisurely made her way to the door. Now out of the bedroom, she could hear the knocking and the squabbling of the three girls. Each step was slower and more hesitant than the one before. Squaring her shoulders, she opened her front door to her friends. Plastering a large smile on her face, Lucy greeted her visitors. "Hey guys! Come on in! Nice to see you! What brings you over here?"

Levy flushed a brilliant scarlet and stuttered her answer. "N-n-nothing t-t-too special. Um, do you have plans this evening?"

Lisanna stepped around Levy and dropped her coat over the back of the couch. "We've got plans for all of us!" She clapped and then rubbed her hands. "It's a girl's night!"

Mira sweetly smiled and added, "We're gonna drink 'til we puke!"

Shaking her head, Levy sputtered. "N-n-no! A few more drinks, but no puking!" The short girl shot an embarrassed look at Lucy. "I've come to a realization, and I need your help. I'm on a quest."

About to answer, Lucy felt warm hands grip her waist and gently squeeze. 

Natsu leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I'll compromise, see me to the door and kiss me outside."

Lucy grabbed his hand and towed him the rest of the way to her front door. Without a word of explanation, she pulled him out to the hallway and shut the door on the girls' curious faces. She manhandled Natsu against the opposing wall and gripped his face with one hand and teasingly traced the ripples of his abdomen with the other. Slowly she leaned in and brushed her lips against his. His hands came to life and cupped her ass, lifting her against his groin. She speared both hands into his hair and lightly pulled it as their tongues duelled. Little sighs and moans spilled from the lover's throats. With a last grind against Natsu; Lucy stepped away, breathing heavily.

"Best two out of three tonight Luce, and you can win your panties back." He grinned and tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"Sounds do-able Natsu. Bring some food, you'll need your stamina." Lucy gently pushed him on his way and turned back to her apartment. Walking back inside, she found the Strauss sisters perched glassy eyed on the couch and Levy on the loveseat sitting cross-legged mumbling to herself what sounded like 'romance'.

Closing the door with a slight 'thump' brought her friends back to sudden life. Loud squeals split the air as the two take-over mages reacted, babbling about 'beautiful babies'. Levy smiled apologetically at Lucy. "I need some help with a decision I made and you and they," at this she flicked her finger towards the Strauss siblings, "have the expertise I need."

"Well..........okay? What sort of help?" Lucy was honestly puzzled. "I'm always willing to help my best friend. What do you need?" The blonde walked over to the loveseat and plopped down beside her comrade.

Levy opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Mira interrupted. "I call dibs! I want to be a godmother to your first baby!"

"Um, this isn't what you guys came over for is it? Because I don't want to go there just yet." The celestial mage gave carefully neutral looks to each of her visitors. "While I will admit, Natsu and I are dating, we are young and not ready for children."

Big blue eyes shining, Mira tittered. "I'm going to be the best Fairy Tail Godmother ever!" She gave a manic grin and began rubbing her hands together.

Lisanna reached over and shook Mira by the shoulders. "Snap out of it! Don't make me have to slap some sense into you like last time!"

The petite blue haired girl took this opportunity to converse with Lucy. "Sorry about those two, but they're good at matchmaking and you've got the freshest experience of... of....hooking up." Levy's words started out strong, but trailed away as she lost confidence. Baldly she stated, "I want to seduce Gajeel."

The silence was deafening, and then chaos broke out and all four girls babbled excitedly.

"What!?"

"I call dibs on being godmother!"

"Ooh! Good choice!"

"I just have needs!"

Relieved that Levy's bombshell would be the center of attention, Lucy went into the kitchen to get a bottle of sake. Opening her drinks cabinet, she grabbed the largest bottle she could find. Placing that and four glasses on a tray, she entered her living room and set the serving dish on the coffee table. Lucy poured four servings and cleared her throat loudly. "A-hem! Cheers to Levy's quest!"

Each girl claimed a glass and drank. Levy sat, both mortified and oddly defiant. "Last night was an eye opener for me. I saw how you and Natsu looked at each other.....open and honest.......the focus on each other. We've seen lots of glimpses of that, every time you sit together in the guild hall - but last night was.....was....." Levy trailed off, unsure of her wording; wanting to express so many deep thoughts but caught up by the limits of language. Taking a steadying breath, Levy continued. "Last night was honest. Lucy, you said you didn't care what others thought and that you and Natsu were meant to be together and didn't need to hide anything."

Face flaming, Lucy stared at her empty glass and decided to pour refills. "Natsu brought up some cogent thoughts about our relationship - we've been heading towards each other from the very beginning. Nothing stays the same without stagnating and then dying. Life is change and change can be scary, but the rewards are so......so......."

Lisanna sniggered, "Let's face it, he's some delicious eye candy." She held up her hands in the gesture for surrender. "Don't worry, I had all my time in Edolas to get over Natsu. He's yours and I've moved on, a couple of times!" She blushed delicately. "No need to go into details, but I date and have fun."

Mira nodded vehemently. "Delicious eye candy!"

"I don't know that I want a relationship, but I want some romance." Levy giggled. "I feel a lot of things for Gajeel. It's all mixed up, but he's my eye candy."


	5. Certain Urges

Lucy sat in silence pondering her best friend's words. Abruptly she got up to root around in her cupboards to search for refreshments, leaving the three girls to converse amongst themselves.

"So Levy, you've decided on seducing Gajeel. He looks like a difficult target. Why not go after Jet or Dr-"

Mira couldn't even finish saying the name 'Droy' before Lisanna interrupted. "Don't even! Sure she could sleep with either of them, hell, even both together, but then they'd never give up on her!"

Levy let out a gasp of shock. "Thanks for the nightmare fuel! I've thought of them as brothers for as long as I've known them. That's just eww!"

"Why not go after one of the Trimens? You know; Eve, Ren or Hibiki? Each one is tastier than the last!" Mira practically cooed the word 'tastier'. "They are lady killers - certified, good-to-the-last-drop lady pleasers."

"Mira, you know Ren is engaged to Sherry even if he won't admit it!" Lisanna shook her head regretfully. "Levy wouldn't dream of busting up anyone's engagement. We need to find her someone young, attractive and available for fun and games."

"Wait! I've already decided on Gajeel!" Levy protested. "He's got a full mane of hair, iron hard muscles and an ass that won't quit."

The two sisters looked at Levy and grinned. Mira grabbed her glass and drank her sake. "Sounds like you're committed to your seduction. That's an important first step. You don't want to get sidetracked. Pick your target and don't waver!"

"Yah! Second step, make them take notice! Throw yourself in their path! Not at them - this is an important distinction! Be there, but make it so they come to you." Lisanna took another sip of her drink. "Third! Dress! Play up your assets!"

Mira stood up and pulled Levy out of her seat. "Spin! Let's see what we're workin' with!"

Obediently Levy spun, allowing the two sisters to catalogue her physical traits. Lucy walked back into the living room with a platter of snacks. "Sorry I don't really have a lot to offer right now! But we need something to soak up the alcohol!" She plunked the tray down next to the sake and sat back down on the loveseat.

Mira stood with her finger held up against her lips. "Tch. I think your cuteness is pretty solid, but if we play up your ass, you'll get further."

"I think her eyes are such a beautiful hazel!" Lucy contributed, unsure of what exactly they were doing, but wanting to support her friend.

Lisanna tilted her head back and forth. "I think Gajeel is an ass-man. She's got some junk in that trunk. Her booty is better than either of ours, sister."

"Thanks!" Levy was rapidly getting overwhelmed, but politeness was bred into her bones. "This is a great start, you've given me lots to work with and now I think I know what direction to go."

"Why don't we have a shopping expedition tomorrow?" Lucy volunteered. "I have a few things I need and who doesn't love new clothes?"

"Great idea!" Mira clapped her hands. "Sounds awesome! We'll meet for breakfast near the best boutiques on Belter Street. Say, around nine am? Lisanna! Now that that's settled, how 'bout we bar hop a bit? We haven't painted the town red in ages!"

"Yah!" Lisanna smiled slyly. "Maybe we can brush up on our seduction technique."

Lucy hopped out of her seat and held out Lisanna's coat for her to slip into. "Have fun you two! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Together the two sisters turned to each other and shouted, "That's what she said!" Shrieking with laughter, they exited Lucy's apartment and went on the prowl for fun and excitement.

"Lucy, thanks for putting up with us." Levy toyed with some crackers off the refreshment tray. "I should have called first, but I had a few shots at the guild - basically on an empty stomach..........well, it seemed like a really good idea at the time."

"No worries, we can talk about whatever you need to Levy." Lucy picked up the alcohol and topped up their drinks. "So, you're seriously interested in Gajeel?"

There was a slightly panicked look to Levy's wide hazel eyes. "Um... I don't know exactly how serious, but I want him to notice me." She picked up her glass and sipped at her drink. "I think I could have a satisfying physical relationship with him. He seems so self-contained......."

"Are you looking to turn the Iron dragon slayer into a friend with benefits?" Lucy shook her head ruefully. "I bet you've started to do research on dragon mating habits, haven't you?"

Levy choked on the cracker she was eating. Coughing the bitten food into a napkin she gave her friend a sheepish smile. "You know me so well! I went to the library this morning - actually, I had wanted to visit with you, but....I figured you'd be busy."

Flushing, Lucy giggled. "Yah, busy. The thing is, I do know you well and I don't think you're the kind of person to remove emotion from sex."

"Be that as it may, I want some romance. I want to be desired, for a night, a week.....I just don't want to wait. Picking Mira and Lisanna's brains for man hunting tips was kinda desperate, but I haven't been able to do anything by myself anyway!"

Lucy scooted over and hugged Levy. "You're able to do anything you set your mind to! Anything at all! You'll seduce the hell out of Gajeel if that's what you want!"

"You think so?" asked Levy in a small voice.

"Hells yah!" shouted Lucy. "You're speaking to the resident expert on dragon mating!" The celestial mage blushed lightly. "I want to read some of these books.....not just for my own personal edification, but to help you."

"How about tomorrow after shopping?" Levy offered. "I know we'll be looking for clothes to show off my assets, but I'm not too sure what I can do to throw myself in his path and somehow make him come to me?"

Lucy nibbled on a cracker and thought deeply. "Well, Mira conned me and Natsu into a bet and a mission at a magic love spring. Matter of fact, taking Gajeel there might be your solution. What if we can get Mira to put up a job on the board calling for both a dragon slayer and solid script mage?"

"That just might work!" Levy chirped, her excitement rising. "She tried to offer us a job right after you and Natsu left on your mission!"

"She's a tricky devil!" Lucy laughed. "I have a coupon for a one night stay at the love spring hotel. You can have it if you want. I was thinking of going back on an anniversary, but it might benefit you more."

"Well, maybe.....I'll keep it in mind. For right now, I see my plan to seduce Gajeel as almost two thirds complete. I've decided I will have him - that's step one. Target acquired! Step two, put myself in his path - we're working on that. Step three, buy and wear some ass accentuating clothes."

Smiling, Lucy ate a few more crackers. "Gajeel won't know what hit him!"

"Hey, Lucy?"

"Yes?" 

"You ready to share any of your expertise on dragon mating?"

Lucy tittered nervously. "Um....What do you want to know?" 

"Some basics, only go as far as you feel comfortable with details, I want to be able to look Natsu in the face later. Lisanna already scarred my psyche earlier with images of Jet and Droy." Levy sat back firmly in her corner of the loveseat and waited.

Lucy crossed and uncrossed her legs, then laced her fingers together on her lap. "For us, there was a fair amount of magic involved. We dreamed together of each other after using the hot spring. Ah, some love bites were exchanged in our dream that showed up in the waking world......I was under the influence of his feelings and vice versa."

Levy nodded and sipped more of her drink. "That's what led up to the mating, but I want some insight as to what makes a mate a mate. I asked Gajeel last night, but he evaded answering. Is having sex enough to trap a dragon slayer with someone? Can they sleep around? Or is it one and done, forever?"

"I guess you'd have to define 'certain urges' to be certain of the answer." Lucy sighed, "For my situation, I've loved Natsu for a pretty long time without knowing it was love. We've been close from the minute we met. We built our feelings on the bonds of being nakama. In the dream world, Natsu explained to me that when a dragon, or dragon slayer gets certain urges, they are only and ever for the person destined to be their mate. This person has a chance or choice to be with the dragon or cut them out of their existence and lead a normal life."

Looking vaguely dissatisfied, the solid script mage frowned. "So it all comes down to determining what 'certain urges' means in regards to mating. I haven't run across that yet in the books I borrowed from the library. This has been very helpful anyway, Lucy."

Impishly smiling, Lucy volunteered another nugget of information. "Dragons bite like bastards. It's freaking constant!"

As Lucy intended, Levy lost her frown and laughed. "Let's watch a movie or something! It's pretty early in the evening, and we really haven't hung out in what feels like forever." Lucy nodded and turned on the lacrimavision. They watched a silly movie and made popcorn, relaxing away the hours. Levy started yawning near the end of the movie and made her excuses.

Lucy waved to Levy as she exited the apartment. After the short but intense visit with the three girls, it had been most peaceful just to hang out with the solid script mage. Smiling, she locked the door and tidied up the living room. The sake bottle still contained just enough for one more drink; shrugging, Lucy poured it into her cup and carried the tray of picked over snacks into the kitchen. Humming, she put away the left-over food.

"Hey Luce!" Natsu stalked out of her bedroom, wearing only boxers. "I've been waiting for close to half an hour. Come to bed!"


	6. All Nice is All Boring

Lucy awoke to find Natsu spooning her, his arms wrapped around her chest and his groin snug against her posterior. Yawning, she stretched as best she could while trying not to wake her mate. Checking the time, she realized she had close to half an hour to luxuriate before getting ready to meet the girls for breakfast and shopping. A soft smile graced her sleepy countenance. Sighing, she arched her back into the soothing warmth of Natsu.

"If you want something, you should ask for it Luce." Natsu lightly nibbled on Lucy's neck. "I'm not a mind reader you know. If you're in the mood for some slap and tickle, you gotta tell me." His teeth pressed gently and his tongue licked aggressively.

"I wasn't trying to wake you. Didn't you get enough last night?" She lay there passively as he ran his fingers over her left hip, tracing a circuitous route over and dipping low on her thigh and back towards her abdomen. The slower his hands cruised, the more restive she became and actively began reacting to his caresses.

"You're grinding on me, pardon my confusion." Lucy could hear the smirk coming across in his voice. "I'm trying to make up for lost time - seven years we were lost to the passing of time on Tenrou Island and the years before our hot spring intervention. We could have been doing this a whole hell of a lot sooner."

Moaning her words, Lucy grabbed Natsu's hands and moved them to her breasts. "I think you do know what I want, you just want to hear the words."

"Yes, I do believe you're correct Luce-my-mate." He accompanied his words with pinches to her nipples and another bite to her neck. "The more graphic your words, the sooner I submit to your desires."

"You've got twenty minutes before I hop out of bed and run to the shower." Lucy raked her nails down his flank and kept grinding.

"Well, when you put it like that; out of the goodness of my heart, I'll do you a favour - can you get on your knees for me Luce?" Natsu pulled back and allowed Lucy to change position. He placed kisses all down her spine and gripped her hips possessively, all the while getting more excited from the breathy moans his blonde mate was emitting. On his knees behind her, he pushed his hard length inside with one quick thrust. Her inner walls clamped down and he relished the exquisite feeling of liquid warmth and tightness. Slowly he began moving, pulling almost out and then pushing back into her welcoming heat.

"Hah, nnngh....faster.....harder......give me all you have!" Lucy panted louder and louder. Her arms trembled with effort keeping herself upright from the force of Natsu's pistoning hips. Sweat ran freely down both their bodies as they strained against each other, working towards mutual satisfaction. Reaching around, Natsu slipped one and then another digit into his mate's core. He rubbed in tiny circles as he pounded into her, faster and faster as her moans escalated into high pitched shrieks of pleasure.

Low groans of satisfaction echoed in Lucy's bedroom as the ultimate pinnacle of ecstasy was attained and savoured. Natsu collapsed over Lucy's back, forcing the immediate crumpling of her legs. He rolled to his side and drew Lucy with him, keeping his softening member within her another minute. He rained kisses and bites on her shoulder, ignoring her soft protestations of "Too rough!"

"Lucy?"

"Yes, Natsu?"

"I do feel the need to protect you from others, men who look at you and desire you without even knowing how special you are. Last night I said I have to fight challengers - I wasn't kidding. You're mine." He hugged her to his chest tightly. "I trust you above all others, it's other men I distrust."

"Is that a dragon trait? I'm not about to live my life separated from everyone else." Lucy chuckled softly. "You're all I can see, all I need, all I want."

"How did I get so lucky?"

Checking the time, Lucy struggled out of the blankets on the bed, racing for the shower. "Crap! I gotta hurry the hell up to get to Belter street on time!" Natsu briefly considered joining Lucy in the shower, but rightly considered she'd be in too much of a rush to enjoy his presence. Mentally, he added shower sex to his list of things-to-do. Ten minutes later, Lucy threw on clothes and kissed Natsu good-bye to run to her early morning appointment with her girlfriends.

Walking at the fastest pace Lucy could manage with stray muscles throbbing and her intimate areas twinging, she made it to Belter street only five minutes late. Levy was already there as was Lisanna, but Mira had yet to arrive. Another ten minutes of waiting and Mira ran up in last night's clothes all apologetic.

"Sorry! I had a good night of hunting and well......" She giggled and brushed imaginary bits of dirt off her shoulders. "I still have it, no matter how many times I give it away."

"You're so bad!" laughed her sister. "I was home and in bed at the usual time! No luck for me, but I keep trying!"

A short discussion by the females involved led to them breaking fast at the new bakery, 'Le Gateau Gigantique'. They feasted on pastries, coffee and other assorted sweets; appropriate fuel for shopping.

"So where to first?" Levy looked expectantly at Lucy. "You said you needed a few things....so what do you need?"

"Ah, um, well, funny thing, I'm shopping for night gowns - no special reason...." Lucy blushed brightly.

Mira smirked knowingly. "Did your nightgowns meet with a certain dragon slayer's destructive qualities?"

Both sisters laughed, but Levy endeavoured to look sober. "So any shop with women's clothing will do, huh?"

The four mages agreed and arbitrarily turned left after exiting the cake shop. They entered the first ladies clothing shop and browsed their offerings. Mira and Lisanna scoured the racks and tossed more than a dozen outfits at Levy to try on. This pattern repeated for the next five shops.

Levy tried many different combinations of short skirts and tight shorts and long trousers before becoming despondent. "Look guys, these upscale clothes are just not things I'm comfortable wearing!" 

Lisanna nodded, "You're not gonna look good until you decide you can look good. Maybe these shops are too far out of your comfort zone. You and Lucy should shop with each other. Mira and me need to get to the guild soon anyway for our shifts!"

"Good luck!" Chirped Mira. "I know you'll find something awesome!"

"Thanks Mira!" rejoined Levy. "Before you go, I was wondering if there was any special mission suited for myself and Gajeel to complete. Remember when Natsu and Lucy took that mission to the magic hot spring? You offered a unique mission to us, but I was too scared to accept."

Mira giggled. "Oh, I remember. You looked so spooked! As I recall, Gajeel appeared intrigued. I'll have a look through the missions and see if I can't find something suitable."

"You're a life saver!" gushed Levy. "I'll owe you big!"

"God mother big?" Mira preened and buffed her nails on her shirt. "Make me the godmother of your firstborn and we have a deal!"

Levy exchanged a incredulous look with Lucy and nodded at Mira anyway. "We have a deal!"

The white haired take-over mage squealed with joy and ran up to hug the diminutive girl. "You won't regret this!"

Lucy and Levy waved goodbye to the two sisters and then turned back to the boutiques of Belter street. Sighing, Levy slumped against an expensive window display. "You wanna get out of here and go to the street of bargains?" Her blonde companion nodded and they headed towards the south end of town. Walking quickly, they continued conversing.

"Yes, a few things. If Natsu is gonna keep destroying my nightgowns, there's no sense in spending large amounts of jewels buying them." Lucy flushed and kept her eyes downcast as she spoke to Levy. "Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it at the time, but he wrecked them one after the other like it was the only thing keeping him alive."

Levy smiled wistfully. "That's something I would love for Gajeel to do with me."

Surprised, Lucy almost stumbled over the uneven pavement. "So you think about a lot of things concerning him, huh?"

"You read just as much as I do, if not more! Damn romance novels aren't called bodice rippers for nothing!"

"True!" laughed Lucy. "I never thought to be starring in my own, though. Hey! Here's one of my favourite bargain shops, let's go in here." The blonde mage pointed to a large shop and both girls entered.

"This is more my style Lucy!" Levy had an armful of affordable cute clothes, "There's bound to be something I like that will suit my frame."

In the changing room, Levy tried on outfit after outfit. Finally, her decisions were narrowed down to two new short skirts, a deceptively simple looking black dress and fitted trousers.

"You know Levy, I'm getting tired of shopping, let's get those and stick a fork in it, I'm done!"

"I think we did pretty good, let's head over to Fairy Hills and my research material. We'll make lunch and then we can read up on dragon mating habits."

"Sounds like a solid plan!" They paid for their items and hastened to Fairy Hills.  
Soon, the two friends were setting down their shopping bags in Levy's apartment. Working peaceably together, they assembled lunch and sat down to eat. 

"Levy, do you mind if I ask why?"

"Why, what?" The solid script mage looked blankly at her blonde companion.

"Why do you want Gajeel?"

"He's a curious mix of intimidating, rough and caring. He seems kinda callous and menacing at times, but I'm certain it's an act. Ever since Tenrou Island, he's been softer.....no, that's wrong. Saying he's soft would imply he's weak. He's been more like.....not as hard - he ordered me to keep to his side to remain safe. He makes all kinds of nicknames for me, like Shrimp, Tiny, Shorty. I don't really like them, but I like the fact he has pet names for me. He's got a big soft spot in his heart for Pantherlily. Gajeel was pretty upset not to have a talking cat of his own before Edolas - you know first hand how Natsu treats Happy, they're buddies. Wendy and Charle are best friends. Every dragon slayer with an exceed treats them with love."

Levy put her elbows up on the table and laced her fingers together to slouch her head forward. "I see in him the qualities I find lacking in myself. Some things I can't change, but there are lessons he can teach me. I want to be more assertive. I want respect. I want to ride him hard and put him away wet."

Lucy fell off her chair and Levy laughed. "Just checking to see if you were still listening! Just kidding! I'd wash him before bedding down with him. Let me tell you, he'd get a thorough going over. Everybody seems to see me as a serious bookworm. That's true, but only to a certain degree. I'm more than just one thing, and so is Gajeel. All nice is all boring."

"You sound like this is going to be a serious attachment. Would you be able to have sex with him and then walk away?"

"Hopefully, I'll get to have sex a few times - the first time is always a disappointment from what Cana's told me. And after the sex, hopefully I'll only be able to lay there in a state of delirious joy with legs like jelly." Levy pushed back her chair and stood up, making a fist and pounding her kitchen table. "Gajeel Redfox will be mine!"


	7. Full House in the Guild Tonight

Blushing hotly, Levy sat back down and forked a dainty bite of her lunch. Using her napkin, she blotted a bit of salad dressing from the corner of her lips. Arching one brow at Lucy she smiled. "I'm not going to change everything about myself in one day you know. I'm just letting my inner demon out to play. I've always been lewd but never really broadcasted it."

Lucy nodded, "I knew that, but didn't think about it much. You've read some of my more adult stories and gave me great pointers with them. Both you and Erza lend me smutty books by the dozen with pages dog-eared and paragraphs highlighted. I guess I've been naive not recognizing your hand writing in the notes in the margins."

Her lips twitching, Levy started snickering. "Not just my notes! Erza's and Juvia's too! I don't know which one is the bigger pervert!"

After the remains of lunch were cleared away, the two girls attacked the four large tomes of dragon lore. Levy busied herself with making a list of facts she wanted to verify while Lucy donned the gale-force reading glasses and quickly read the books.

Flipping the pages at a steady rate, Lucy absorbed a chaotic barrage of information. Generally, the books were in accord with each other, but odd conflicts of data were evident. The celestial mage commandeered a blank page of paper and scribbled her own notes as Levy concentrated on hers.

Closing the last book, Lucy put down her pen to stare pensively at Levy. "I knew a lot of these 'facts' already. Dragon mating seems to be enhanced regular manly man bullshit posturing." Her lips turned down and her eyebrows scrunched together in displeasure. "What a waste of time! The only thing I saw as unique was the little blurb about scent marking and easing of motion sickness. Everything else is regular human courtship behaviour merely amped up to Elfman's level of 'man'!"

"That was awesome! Good work Lucy!" Levy's eyes sparkled and she pumped her fist in the air. "I'm so silly for not noticing that myself! I've got to go back to the library and checkout some relationship books! Knowledge is power!"

"How about we go to the guild this evening and have some fun?" Lucy brightened with her friend's praise. "I haven't been in yet since getting back from the mission in Balsam. The longer I put off going in, the more awkward I'm sure to feel."

Levy patted Lucy's hand. "Don't worry too much about it, there's always the next brawl or scandal to draw their attention away."

"You're right, so I'll see you at the guild tonight!" Lucy hugged her friend good-bye and exited Fairy Hills. 

Relaxing in the fresh spring air, the blonde walked home at peace. After unlocking her door, Lucy was almost bowled over by Happy flying into her chest.

"What the hell?!"

"Aren't you glad to see me Lucy? I missed you!" cried Happy. "You look not as fat today!"

"What are you doing in my apartment? Is Natsu with you? I'm not fat! I'll shave you bald if you can't keep a civil tongue in your head!"

Happy rolled his eyes. "Natsu is busy doing something at our house and he kicked me out. Feed me! Got any fish?"

Lucy stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the exceed. "Why should I feed you when you insult me?"

"What insult?" Happy snickered. "Natsu told me he'd be by in a couple hours to escort you to the guild. He liiiiiiiiikes you!"

"Happy, you're gonna need to find a new catch-phrase." Lucy laughed to see the blue cat deflate at the realization his teasing would no longer bother the committed couple.

 

In the dusty stacks of the library, Gajeel was holding on to the last shreds of his temper. Lily had spent ten full minutes complaining that Levy wouldn't show up until her next usual day. When Gajeel had been proven right, Lily had quieted. The iron dragon slayer found his blood pressure rising with every young male that greeted and touched Levy. He ground his teeth as the cheerful petite woman conversed with a handsome young man shelving books. Unconsciously Gajeel took two rapid steps towards Levy and only stopped to viciously hiss a curse at Lily who had clawed his leg.

"Use your freaking words cat!"

"Use your brain! What's the point of hiding and spying if you're going to walk out there and let her see you?" Lily openly glared at his friend. "You make us loiter here killing me with boredom and you're going to wreck your plan just because some random man is talking to your female?"

Gajeel glowered at his exceed and slowly nodded. "You're right dammit! I need to kill that random man, Levy is my female!" He lurched forward, his dark red eyes blazing with bloodlust.

Lily grew to battle size and grabbed the back of Gajeel's shirt, holding him back. "Now I know she's the one! You only heard what you wanted to hear!" Exasperatedly, the exceed shook his partner to snap him out of his homicidal rage. "We're supposed to hide and observe! Calm down!"

"I know! I'm the one that came up with the plan!" Gajeel grumbled but stepped back into the cover of the shelves. The black haired mage stared at Levy, watching her peruse and select several books. She spun on her heel and took her books to the check-out counter and departed rapidly. Waiting a few extra minutes, Gajeel then stomped over to where she had been and browsed for clues.

Lily returned to his smaller size and was flipping through one of the books Levy had looked at but put back. "This is a book on human dating! Is she giving up on dragons? Sucks to be you then Gajeel! Gi hehehe!"

His mouth a straight line and lips pressed thin, Gajeel could feel the vein in his temple throbbing. "I have never given up on a fight - I ain't about to start. She'll be mine for as long as I want."

"You wanna follow her some more?" Lily watched with open amusement at Gajeel's torment. "Or you could go man up and ask her out."

"I'm saving the full frontal attack as a fall back measure. Let's go see what Shrimp is doing." Sneering at all the relationship books, Gajeel strode out of the library with his exceed trailing behind. Out in the spring afternoon sunlight, the dragon slayer sniffed the air to catch Levy's aroma. Easily picking up her scent trail, Gajeel quickly began following her path. He traced a fairly meandering path through Magnolia which led him back through the park with Sakura trees and towards Fairy Hills.

"She's gone home Gajeel." Lily moaned. "I'm bored! Let's go to the guild and see if there's any new missions on the board. I bet there's a fight we can join - or we can start one."

"Yah, fine. Let's go to the guild." 

Pushing the door extra hard, Gajeel strode into the packed Fairy Tail guild. "What's with the crowd?"

Lily shrugged. "Beats me, but isn't a multitude of bodies in the guild to our advantage?" He snickered into a paw, "Touchy feely - oopsy grabsy! Perfect 'accident' waiting to happen."

"You're right again Lily. I don't smell Levy here yet - let's grab a few drinks." Gajeel glared his way through the horde and people scurried to get out of his way. Claiming a barstool, he ordered a pitcher of beer to share with his companion. Mira smiled even more devilishly than usual as she placed his order down. "What's with the crowd tonight Mira?"

Her blue eyes twinkled as she answered. "Everyone is waiting for Lucy and Natsu to show up - a little blue haired birdie told me she'd be in tonight." Mira's smile spread so unnaturally wide that Gajeel was starting to feel creeped out. She bounced in place brimming with excitement. "It's a surprise party for the new couple!"

"Gi hehe! I can't wait to see the look on Bunny Girl's face!" Gajeel quaffed his beverage. "Salamander is too stupid to react I bet."

Lily reached over and poured himself a glass of beer. "Cheers!" He sipped at it and called his wings. "I'm gonna check out the mission board. Be right back." Mira walked back over and started polishing the bar in front of the iron dragon slayer.

"Looking for anything in particular? There's a special mission I haven't pinned to the board yet......" Mira slyly smiled. "Might be too much for just you and Lily to handle."

Gajeel grunted and applied himself to draining his beverage. The guild doors slammed open and the crowd cheered. Gray rushed in and the cheer died away. Assorted scraps of garbage pelted the shirtless ice mage. He ran over to where the iron dragon slayer was sitting and claimed the barstool beside him. "So, Gajeel. What's with the full house in the guild tonight?"

"It's a surprise party for Bunny girl and Salamander. They passed the advanced lesson on hand holding, gi hehehe!" 

"Lucy is gonna flip and Flame brain won't know how to handle it." Grey scoffed.

The door slammed open again and Juvia skipped into the guild. The noise level rose and descended as people realized it was neither Lucy nor Natsu entering. Looking left and right, she spotted Gray hiding behind Gajeel and squealed happily. "Gray-sama! I found you! Juvia wins hide-and-seek! Does Juvia get her trophy now?"

Gray shrank back behind the dragon slayer, and gestured to Mira for a drink. "Let me have a double scotch on the rocks." The barmaid poured and he drained it. Setting down the empty glass, he pointed at it and she poured another two fingers. Using both hands he cradled the drink and took a sip.

Juvia bounced closer and closer. "Gray-sama! Juvia has been very patient! You promised if I could find you I would get a surprise!"

Now sans pants, but still retaining his boxers, Gray mumbled to Gajeel. "I said I'd be surprised if she could find me after I hid. She never listens to me!"

Her big blue eyes shining with love's light, she reached out her hand to rest on Gray's shoulder. He twitched and shrugged off her touch. Undeterred, Juvia hopped up on the barstool next to the ice mage. "Juvia will have what Gray-sama is having!" She sat leaning towards the object of her affection, watching intently as he slowly and steadily emptied his drink.

Mira placed a double scotch on the rocks in front of the water mage and held the bottle at the ready in front of Gray. On his nod, she poured another measure and addressed Juvia. "Did you hear? It's official! Natsu and Lucy are a couple!"

"No more love rival! Gray-sama is all Juvia's!"

The guild doors bounced open and the duo in question finally entered amid cat-calls and shouts and cheers. Lucy and Natsu, holding hands waded through the crowd. A chant of "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" grew louder and more hoots and the stamping of feet built to a crescendo as the now pink cheeked Lucy and Natsu embraced. They locked lips for an endless moment and then parted breathless.

Gajeel snorted at the spotlighted couple and elbowed Gray in the ribs. "Looks like it wasn't too big a surprise for them. Bookworm musta told Blondie. Chicks always support each other."

Natsu, grinning like a besotted fool, pulled Lucy to the bar to order drinks. Before he could say anything, Mira poured a fire whiskey and hard lemonade for them. The barmaid smiled angelically and mouthed the words, "You owe me!" at Lucy, who blushed and nodded. Drinks in hand, they sat down at the nearest table adjacent to the bar. The background noise swelled and the guild of Fairy Tail began partying in earnest. 

Happy flew in minutes later to Natsu crying, "Wah! Lucy was mean to me after I complimented her!"

The pink haired mage laughed. "I already know! She told me what you said and you're lucky she only threatened to shave you bald!"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the dramatic blue exceed. "Telling me I don't look as fat as usual is not a compliment." 

"I said you look not as fat today - not as usual!" Happy's fake tears dried up as he spotted Charle talking to Wendy. "Don't wait up for me tonight." He jumped off of Natsu's shoulder and made his way towards the pretty white haired cat.

Levy greeted Lucy, "Hi! How's it going?" The solid script mage was wearing one of her new purchases; a shorter and tighter than usual skirt, paired with a matching yellow headband and contrasted with a thin white sweater. 

Lucy pulled her friend into the chair next to her. "You look so good!"

The petite girl giggled, "I know! I've been complimented by everybody I've run into!" Her hazel eyes shone. "Jet and Droy almost swallowed their tongues. It feels nice to get noticed!"

Lily hopped onto the bar and picked up his glass of beer. "There's nothing new on the mission board that's suitable." Grinning the exceed jerked his head over towards the table where the newly celebrated couple and Levy were sitting. "Let's go visit with the King of the Fools and his busty Queen."


	8. Go For It!

Gajeel picked up his beer pitcher and glass in preparation to move to the table. He listened unabashedly as Levy and Lucy conversed. The tiny bluenette confided to Lucy that she'd actually been in the guild before Lucy had arrived, but had been detained by each person she ran into with compliments. Dropping into an unoccupied chair opposite the girls, Gajeel grunted his hellos.

Lily was more cordial and smiled as he walked over to Levy on top of the table. "Gajeel was just telling me he'd like to talk to you later." His smile turned evil as he turned around to face Gajeel. "Gi hehe!"

Scowling, the iron dragon slayer slouched in his seat. "It's about the debt you owe me Shrimp."

Levy blushed as Lucy pinned her with a sharp look. "Oh? You didn't mention this last night, or when we went shopping this morning or when we hung out at your place." The blonde scooted her chair closer to Levy. "You grilled me and didn't share that tidbit?"

The petite girl sputtered, "It's not a big deal or anything! He helped me with something and I'm just going to return the favour." Shifting in her seat, she signalled the barmaid. 

Smiling brightly, Lisanna came over to serve the table. "Congrats to the both of you, Lucy and Natsu! 'Bout freaking time! What can I get you?" Without a pause, she scanned the table and answered her own question. "Fire whiskey, hard lemonade, pitcher of beer and wine spritzer!" Lisanna winked at Levy, "When I'm done my shift, let's do some shots and let our hair down!"

Hoping to distract Lucy from talking about the favour she owed Gajeel, Levy giggled and agreed quickly. "Sounds great!"

Juvia nursed her drink and stared at Gray, daydreaming her favourite fantasy where he asked how her day was, if he could hold her hand and would she like to come home with him. Mumbling softly to herself, she smiled. A few minutes into her visualization she reached the point where she could no longer sit still and was squirming in her seat; pressing her thighs together, trying to sooth her unrequited passions. She got progressively louder, her groaning issuance of "Gray-sama! Don't touch me there!" rousing the ice mage from his alcoholic daze.

A look of confusion crossed his face. "I'm not touching you at all! What's with you Juvia?" Gray pushed himself off his bar stool, stumbling over to where Natsu sat with his arm around Lucy's shoulders. Lisanna arrived with the table's beverages and was setting them down as the ice mage tripped, falling into Lisanna and causing the tray to flip and cover the fire dragon slayer with booze.

"Ice princess! Can't hold your liquor, huh? Let's go!" Natsu grinned and stabbed Gray's chest with a finger. "Ain't a Fairy Tail party unless I'm kicking your ass anyway!"

Gray scowled and shoved Natsu, "You kick my ass? You and what army?" The two mages scuffled, exchanging blows with glee.

The water mage sat despondent. Gray-sama! Juvia wants your attention! Sighing, she chugged her scotch and slipped off her barstool. Juvia skirted the edge of the brawl and not so accidentally clipped the back of Gray's head with her elbow as she walked past. Lost in her feelings of jealousy and rage, she concentrated on keeping a blank facade to hide her hurt. Juvia never saw the ice mage pause in his fighting and watch her as she trudged to the back exit of the guild. 

Lucy shrugged and ignored her fighting boyfriend. She took the bar rag from Lisanna and started mopping up the spill on the table. "Just another regular evening at the guild!"

Levy nodded and turned to Lisanna, "Looks like we could use another round! How about instead of my usual, I'd like the strongest thing you serve!"

"Coming right up!" Lisanna collected the empties from the table and accepted the wet bar towel back. Dodging the grappling fire and ice duo, she hollered to her sister at the bar. "Pour me an extra strong Panty Remover!"

Lily jumped back over to Gajeel and guzzled the last of his beer. Leaping to his friend's shoulder, he whispered into his ear, "Aren't you the strongest thing they serve?" Lily laughed as he avoided the mage's swat. Turning his attention to the two girls, the black exceed sandwiched himself between them and started purring as they both absentmindedly petted him as they conversed. He flashed a smug grin at his dragon slayer. His look said 'I can get women to touch me anytime I want'.

Dissatisfaction raged in Gajeel's stomach. Levy is mine and Lily is taunting me! Too many men are noticing what's mine! The drinks arrived at the table and he poured more beer for himself and gulped it down, hoping to calm his libido. He watched Levy accept her beverage and lick at the sugar rimmed on the fishbowl glass. Hmmm..... Caught up in his thoughts, Gajeel was unaware of the rumbling growl he was emitting.

Suddenly, he became aware of two pairs of eyes locked onto him. One brown, the other hazel and dazzling. "Whatcha lookin' at?" Gajeel gruffly voiced. He glanced at Lucy and then locked his vision on Levy.

Erza strode up behind the girls wearing her favourite Heart Kreuz armour. "I wish you all the best Lucy! Come, let me embrace you." Lucy stood up from the table and allowed herself to be subjected to a fierce hug from the red haired warrior. Wincing from the hard press of the metal breastplate, Lucy was thankful it didn't last too long. "Where is your ..." Erza paused, considering her words, "boyfriend? If he deserts you, you have only to tell me and I will break his legs."

Gray and Natsu broke off their fighting and walked back to the table. "Erza! No need to break my legs!" The pink haired dragon slayer sat in the open seat next to Lucy and picked up his glass. "I would like to propose a toast to my best friend and partner! To Lucy!" The distraction worked and Erza hoisted her own glass to celebrate. Cheers rang throughout the guild and copious amounts of spirits were imbibed. 

Cana ambled up to the table, holding onto a large keg. "Hey Lucy! C'mere! I need you to lookit the betting ledger and tell Mira which bets she can pay up on. She won't take my word for it!" 

"I wanna see, too." Natsu grinned at his girlfriend. "Happy made some bets as well."

Levy giggled into her drink as Lucy flushed a mottled red and followed the professional alcoholic to the wagering book trailed by the fire dragon slayer.

Erza pulled out a chair and sat beside Gajeel. "Our next Dessert Club meeting is going to be three days from now. I will require you to scout out a new destination for our next meeting after."

Gray laughed and covered it up with a cough. "I just remembered a very important appointment, see you guys later!" He walked unsteadily to the back exit of the guild and slipped outside.

Looking askance at the warrior maiden, Gajeel gave a slight nod and mumbled a non-committal answer. Lily was now sitting in Levy's lap, being hugged and petted. The iron dragon slayer watched, almost mesmerized as the short girl tirelessly rubbed the exceed's head.

"Is there something wrong, Gajeel?" Levy asked. "You've been staring at me for five minutes and I'm not sure, but I think you might be growling."

"It's my stomach!" Gajeel rumpled his thick mane of hair and rubbed his temple. "I forgot to have an evening meal."

"Oh." She took another fortifying sip of her drink and watched the iron dragon slayer fidget in his seat. Jet and Droy walked past, nodding curtly to Gajeel but smiling at the rest of the occupants of the table.

Lily jumped off of Levy's lap and made his way to Gajeel. Perching on the mage's shoulder, the exceed whispered into his ear. "Either grow some balls or grow some balls! If you don't make a move, I'm gonna cause a disturbance!" Smirking, he scanned the perimeter of the guild hall. 

Shrieks of laughter louder than the many conversations taking place could be heard. Cana, Mira and Lisanna were red-faced, holding hands over aching stomachs, still quivering with mirth. Natsu very red in the face, grabbed up Lucy and threw her over his shoulder. He ignored the celestial mage's howling, slapping hands and kicking feet. Natsu held onto his girlfriend tightly and ran out of the guild without any further words for the three ladies who had discomfited him with their frank sexual talk.

Lisanna brought a fresh drink over to Levy, winked and handed her a mission paper. "Mira just found this on Master's desk! It's totally up your alley - but you might need some muscle along for the ride." She winked again and giggled as Levy flushed. "You'll have your pick of team members! It's some sort of treasure hunt - someone's inheritance is hidden in Tilden Swamp and a journal needs to be deciphered for clues. Tilden Swamp is rife with thieves - that's where the brawn comes in handy."

Lily turned to Gajeel and gave him a subtle head nod. Go for it!

Lisanna smiled at Levy encouragingly. Go for it!

Erza smiled at Levy, "I believe Tilden Swamp is near where Crime Sorciere has their lair." She sat forward, placing her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together, supporting her chin. A dreamy smile, usually reserved for strawberry cake stole across Erza's visage.

Lily's eyes grew rounded and fiercer. Go for it before Erza horns in!

Lisanna, being a problem solver yelled over to the bar where her sister was standing still giggling over how embarrassed Natsu had been. "I need a serving of special cake over here!" Go for it dammit!

Mira cheerily replied, "Coming right up! One special strawberry cake!" Within a minute, the elder Strauss sister was at Erza's side, setting down a serving of cake. Absorbed in the deliciousness of the treat, the re-quip mage shut her eyes and savoured each bite slowly, ignoring her rowdy guild mates.

"So, Gajeel - you want to" Levy started to ask.

"Ah, Shorty, you want to" Gajeel choked out.

"Go on a mission together?" they spoke as one.

Behind the bar, a mini celebration ensued. Mira high fived her sister and Cana bellowed for a celebratory round of drinks. Lily practically danced over to the pitcher of beer and hoisted it overhead, tipped his head back and drank his fill.


	9. What's the Difference?

Levy sat with one hand clinging to her drink. I can do this! I can do this! Her other hand traced the words written on the paper. Looking up, she smiled brightly. "When do you want to go? I'd like a day or so to research Tilden Swamp, but the sooner I get my hands on that journal, the sooner I can try decoding it." Levy looked over at Erza enjoying the last bite of cake and spoke softly, "But I missed the last meeting of the Dessert Club and I'm afraid to miss two in a row."

"Gi hehe! I know the feeling!" Gajeel answered in a matching hushed tone. "We can go anytime you want, but after the meeting would be better." Levy giggled and Gajeel merely looked pained to be making excuses to not anger Erza.

Lily set the pitcher down with a thump. "Hey! Let's go get some supper!" The exceed looked from the tall dragon slayer to the petite word mage. "You too Levy! We can discuss the mission over some real food," he shook a finger at Gajeel. "Not a plateful of iron scraps and corroded wire."

"It's what I like! I don't make you eat it!" Gajeel scowled menacingly at his small companion. "I don't make fun of you for liking kiwis!"

"Boys! Boys! Settle down!" Levy looked imploringly at the two friends; so similar and yet unalike. Gajeel sat there with a sour look on his face. Lily played with his empty beer glass, smiling at any and all sundry persons. "Let's pick up some groceries and I'll cook something at your place."

Gajeel mock shuddered. "I've got an adult palette Shrimp. I don't like kiddie food - no hotdogs for me, nor do I need you to cut my food into tiny bites for me." Slyly he glanced over at her and baited her further. "Can you even reach the top of a stove?"

The liquid courage imbibed earlier allowed Levy to glare at Gajeel and answer him with forceful words. "You may have an adult palette, but you sir, are acting like an childish clod." Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared in a manner Gajeel found appealing. "If you don't want me to cook, you can take me out for food. It's up to you and Lily, seeing as he's the nice one at this table that invited me."

The exceed chuckled and slapped his paw on Gajeel's shoulder. "Hah! That is why I am so popular with the ladies! They can tell I am the nice one!"

About to brag of his own prowess with girls, the iron dragon slayer opened his mouth, paused and shut it with a loud click. Frowning his displeasure, he shoved himself away from the table. "I'll let you cook if you let me help, Squirt. We can talk about this mission at my place."

Allowing a shining smile to light up her face, Levy nodded and clapped her hands excitedly. "Let's get out of here then! I gotta say my goodbyes to Lisanna and Mira though!" She jumped out of her seat and skipped over to the bar where the barmaids were conversing and serving their guild members. "Hey! I'm leaving with Gajeel!"

Lisanna swung her head around fast at Levy's announcement. "You do not believe in letting any grass grow under your feet, do you?"

Mira gasped with shining eyes, "Oh! I get to - " She clasped her own hand over her mouth as Levy frantically shook her head.

"Not like that! We're going to discuss our mission to the swamp. Lisanna, we can drink our faces off some other time! Work comes first!" Levy practically bounced in place with good cheer. "See you later!"

Full of confidence, Levy strode over to Gajeel and Lily. The exceed smiled pleasantly, flying a lazy circle around the grumbling black haired mage. Squinting his eyes, Gajeel spoke in a harsh tone, "Let's get this show on the road. I'm gettin' real hungry." Not just for food...

Ignoring his attitude, the solid script mage led the way out of the guild into the early evening darkness. After a few paces, Levy stopped and turned around. "I have no idea where I'm going - you or Lily can lead the way." She smiled nervously. "We might as well use a market near your place, so...." Waiting for Gajeel to answer she shifted her weight from foot to foot, fisting handfuls of her skirt anxiously.

"Gi hehe! Glad you realized. You always gotta take the lead?" The mage smirked down at the blue haired girl. "You sure are bossy. Good thing I can stand up to that." He allowed the amusement he felt to shine in his wine dark eyes.

Levy felt heat rise in her cheeks. "I'm not bossy! Someone has to lead! So go ahead and lead!" She almost gave in to the impulse to stamp her feet, but restrained herself, instead she glared at the mountain of man who dared annoy her.

"Oi!" Lily interjected. "I'm hungry! I'll lead the way!" He swooped down from Gajeel's shoulder where he had been perched and flew in front of Levy. "Get a move on you two!" The two mages shrugged and followed the exceed. Inside of twenty minutes, they were picking out food in a market, and another ten led them to a neighbourhood near Gray Fullbuster's place.

The neighbourhood Lily and Gajeel lived in was quaint, Levy decided. Small older houses sat in clusters, interspersed with a few larger duplexes and random manor houses. They paced past a small park, deserted for the evening. Empty sandbox, ghostly swings and abandoned benches - all crying out for attention. Lost in her imagination, Levy followed the exceed on autopilot; almost crashing into him when he stopped in front of an average sized bungalow and shifted his bag of groceries from paw to paw. Gajeel strode ahead and unlocked the door, opening it and gesturing for Levy to enter first. He quickly switched the lights on as she stepped further into his domain.

Keeping a placid look on her face was hard, but Levy tamped down the urge to squeal and run from room to room. The entrance was a small mudroom, lined with coat hooks and a bench with assorted boots underneath. An intricately patterned runner laid down the length of the space leading to a living room with plainly varnished wood floors. An overstuffed couch was companion to a club chair and partner to a vast coffee table made of wood and iron insets. A floor lamp sat beside the couch, already on, softly illuminating the room. Several bookshelves lined the walls, full of oddments and books.

"I need to use the little girl's room, Gajeel." Levy could suddenly feel pressure on her bladder. She wanted to explore further, but could only now focus on the call of Mother Nature.

"It's up on the left down this hallway." He gestured to his left. "The first door is my room and the bathroom is before the kitchen." Gajeel walked further into the living room, entering the kitchen through the dining area. Lily had already set his bag of food on the counter and was starting to put things away.

Lily smiled at his friend. "After we eat, do you need me to get lost for a bit?"

"Let's play it by ear; I'm thinking no, but let's not rule it out." Gajeel snickered softly. "Levy isn't the kind of girl to give it up on a first date anyway. She's gonna want to make me suffer and wait and ask permission." He put away some of the food and pulled other staples out of the fridge and cupboards. "What did we agree to make anyway? I was busy checking out her ass in that short skirt."

"Gi hehe!" Lily chortled. "Spaghetti with meat sauce. Easy, much like yourself!" He flew high out of Gajeel's reach and laughed at the priceless expression on the iron dragon slayer's face.

Hesitantly entering the kitchen, Levy looked at the plain white cabinets and severe black floor tile. The walls were white as were the curtains at the window over the sink. The stove and fridge were older but in pristine condition, the small dining table was worn but polished. Moving past the exceed and mage standing in front of the cutting board, Levy moved to the back patio door to see a small carefully tended garden. "Do you grow herbs, food or flowers?"

"Uh, just a few things. My old lady neighbour takes care of it mostly." Gajeel rumpled his hair and adjusted the headband keeping it off his eyes. "I weed and she waters and picks stuff when we're gone on missions." He strode over to where Levy was peering out into the backyard. "I thought you agreed to cook."

Levy turned away from the pretty garden and looked at the slightly anxious form of Gajeel. She considered the tough guy facade he presented to his guild mates with the new knowledge she was picking up in his home - his befriending of an elderly neighbour. She grinned and walked over to the cutting board where Lily was setting out an onion and some garlic.

"I'd like an apron if you didn't mind, a knife and olive oil." Levy waited expectantly for her culinary desires to be fulfilled. Lily rummaged in a drawer and pulled out an apron and Gajeel brought the other requested items. "Gajeel, you know what would really help?"

"Damn, you are a bossy little thing." He stood closer and leaned in, "Well, what do yah want?"

Levy briefly considered saying 'You'. Instead, she pursed her lips and set her hands on her hips. "I want some wine while I cook, and you could do with loosening up too."

"Good idea!" Lily flew over to the highest cupboard and withdrew three wine glasses. Mumbling to himself, Gajeel moved to the small wine rack on the counter nearest the fridge. His hand hovered over each bottle in turn and moved back to his second choice after deliberating the merits of each. Deftly, he opened and poured.

In the meantime, Levy was deep into dinner preparations. She waved off Gajeel's protestations and ordered him to sit down out of her way. Lily suffered the same fate and sat with his best friend at the table, watching the petite girl efficiently produce their meal. As she required assorted pots and pans, Lily was only too happy to furnish her with them. Gajeel topped up their glasses periodically. He smiled as Levy sipped and cooked, stirring the sauce with an oversized wooden spoon.

"Just a few more minutes and we'll be ready to enjoy." Levy wiped her hands on a dishcloth. She turned off the heat on the stove and carried a salad over to the table, mildly surprised to find the table already set with plates, silverware and napkins but bereft of Gajeel's presence.

She slipped off the apron and wandered into the living room. Catching sight of his books, she dropped the apron onto the back of the couch and started browsing titles. Levy found herself intrigued with the eclectic sampling of tomes. Music treatises next to volumes of math, jammed next to warfare and cookbooks piled on top of metal working books. She noticed the book she lent Gajeel on the coffee table next to another novel. Idly she picked it up to read it's jacket and discovered it to be a library book - Of Dragons by Phineas Phog.

Having washed up, Gajeel entered the kitchen to find Lily drinking Kiwi juice out of the container with the fridge door open. Grunting, he walked past the table and went into the living room to see Levy immersed in the book on dragons.  
Levy flipped the pages open to a bookmark and looked at the full colour illustration with no little amount of interest. Her eyes caught the motion of Gajeel striding into the room; hastily shutting the book, she said the first thing that popped into her head. "Is this why you were so embarrassed when I asked about the difference between mating and sex? You had to borrow a book to find out the difference?"  
The muscles flexed in Gajeel's arms as he crossed them, as if to ward off Levy's words. A dull red flush stained his cheeks as he worked his mouth and no words came out.  
"Oh my...are....you...um...a virgin?" Levy's hazel eyes widened and she flushed brilliantly.


	10. I'm Not Scared of You

Her stomach dropped and her heart rate sped up dramatically. Shit, oh shit, oh shit! Gajeel's dark red wine eyes were steady as he locked gazes with Levy. Unable to take any more of his intense stare, she lowered her head and toyed with the tome in her hands. "S-s-sorry, don't answer that. It's none of my business. Can we blame the wine for my run away mouth?" Holding the book tightly, she held it over her heart like a shield.  
Gajeel's shock and confusion roiled in his gut, the flush staining his cheeks died away as his mind worked furiously. His eyes darted over the familiar objects of his living room, the couch, lamp, and Lily sitting on the headrest of the club chair. He was mouthing something....? Lay down? Oh! Play....what? Play dumb! Giving his exceed partner a short jerky nod, Gajeel turned away from Levy and smirked fully as he answered softly. "Um...you're right....it's not any of your business."  
From the dining area, Lily shouted. "I'm hungry! Let's eat before it freezes over!" The exceed mentally patted himself on the back. Gi hehe! Tension broken and let's see how the plan progresses. Pretending he hadn't heard or seen anything untoward in the living room, Lily smiled at his favourite humans. "It looks real tasty, Levy!"  
This normalcy snapped the petite woman out of her bemusement; she hurried to the stove, intending to put the spaghetti onto the awaiting platter.  
Gajeel reached out, placing a tentative hand on her waist. "Let me, you did all the work. Sit down and swill some more wine." He gently pushed and she gave in, retreating to the table and sat. He quickly mixed the sauce and pasta together on the platter, carried it to the table and set it down in the middle of the table. He opened the oven door and transferred the warm bread to another serving dish and set it down next to the pasta. "Let's dig in, thanks for cooking Shorty."  
Pushing himself away from the table with a groan, Lily gave a small burp. "Excuse me! I am stuffed! I think I need a stroll to settle my stomach." He gleefully grinned at Gajeel before jumping on the table to address Levy. "Thank you for a delicious meal." He leapt onto the chair and then onto the floor. He exited out the patio door, giving his mage a knowing smirk behind Levy's back. "See ya later."  
Silence fell between the two mages. Levy shifted uneasily in her chair. She pushed away her plate, raising her eyes to her companion.  
Gajeel openly stared at Levy, he slouched over and steadily watched Levy toy with her wine glass. "I can tell you're not gonna relax until we deal with your last question."  
"No! It's none of my business! Sometimes my brain just blurts out stupid things!" Levy felt trapped in the depth of Gajeel's red eyes. "I-I-I...." Unable to formulate a coherent thought, she jumped out of her seat and sped into the living room.  
Smirking, Gajeel followed and flopped in an easy sprawl on his couch. "I thought you were braver than this, Squirt. Where's the girl who promised to do what ever I wanted if I tracked down Bunny Girl and Salamander?" He laughed a deep guttural chuckle, "I shoulda known."  
Her natural love for debate overcoming her embarrassment, Levy stepped out from behind the club chair to glare at Gajeel. "How is my debt to you connected to my bravery?" She frowned even fiercer, "I'm not scared of you!"  
Avoiding her gaze, Gajeel sneered, "Prove it. Come over here and sit as close as you dare."  
Anger mixed with desire.....these were the feelings that flashed through Levy in a blistering rush. Slowly, small step by step, Levy edged closer to the couch. Closing her hands into fists, she calmed her breathing and strode with as much bravado as she could muster, directly in front of the teasing male.  
"Is that as near as you dare?"  
"I'm not done yet!" She clenched her fists tighter and widened her stance. "I'm going to give you the opportunity to back down, just this once as a favour to you." Levy forced a playful smile to her lips and consciously willed her fingers to straighten. She smoothed the lay of her sweater and skirt, keeping her bright eyes pinned to Gajeel. Levy licked her lips and focused her attention on the piercings glinting on Gajeel's chin.  
"Are you trying to intimidate me? This ain't resolving anything little girl," Gajeel gritted out between clenched teeth; his shallow breathing and racing heart giving the lie to his words.  
"Don't call me a little girl! I'm a woman," declared Levy with fervour, tilting her head up and pulling her shoulders back. "A full grown, mature, woman. And as such, I call your bluff." Levy turned and jumped onto the couch, sitting flush alongside the dragon slayer. "Remember Tenrou Island? You tried to help me get strong and wanted to keep me in sight to help protect me. I know we can be great friends. Friends can discuss anything or say nothing at all and just hangout."  
Tamping down his impatience, Gajeel groaned to himself. Almost! I almost had her spitting mad and ready to do anything! "I don't need any more friends."  
Levy could feel the air vanish from her lungs. She craned her neck to stare at the dark haired mage. An incandescent ball of rage grew from the pit of her stomach. Her visage grew dark and threatening, her mouth a thin lipped grimace and her eyes shone like flint. She scrambled onto her knees and clutched fistfuls of Gajeel's shirt. "I defy you to say that again."


	11. Am I Funny to You?

Gajeel opened his mouth, "I don - " He was cut off by the press of Levy's lips against his open mouth. He could feel her fingers releasing his shirt and starting to caress his pectorals, the rapid beat of her heart, almost taste the now intense scent of her.   
Levy shifted, desperate to touch more of Gajeel. She clambered atop his broad thighs and knelt there, snaking her arms around his neck and squashing her breasts into his chest. Not once freeing his lips, Levy continued her assault on Gajeel. Leisurely she tasted his mouth, stroked his tongue with her own and swallowed his moans. Gradually she became aware of his hands under her skirt, gripping her hips and digging into her buttocks.  
Passionate moans and the sound of fabric rustling competed with laboured breathing. Levy kept her eyes closed and poured her yearning into their kiss. Her hands migrated to Gajeel's hair and she thrust her fingers into his mane. She kept one hand buried in inky black strands and caressed the side of his face with the other. Slowly her fingers traced the metal piercings over his eyes, detoured to under his bottom lip and then gently touched the bridge of his nose; all the while kissing Gajeel. Gajeel; the enigmatic, complex, strong, and determined man.  
Panting, Levy pulled her lips from his and trailed them to his neck. Licking and biting softly, she marked a path down the column of his throat. For an endless moment, she concentrated her attentions on his pulse point. Levy pushed herself upright and stared point blank into Gajeel's eyes. Her kiss swollen lips trembled and her eyes promised heaven.  
Suddenly, deep burning guilt stabbed at the dragon slayer's consciousness, "Levy, I don't think you really know what you're doing."  
"Huh?" Deep in passion's grip, Levy couldn't make sense of his words. "I'm kissing you, and you're enjoying it according to the death grip you have on my ass."  
"Levy," he repeated, "I've misled you. I'm not good enough to be with you like this. I don't know that we should even be friends after what I did you and your team as part of Phantom Lord. How can you even stand to be in the same room as me?"  
Levy sighed and reached up to yank on a hank of Gajeel's hair. "Do I have your full attention? Everything in your past; the good and the bad, has made you who you are today - I wouldn't change a damn thing. Your past choices and the path you walked are just that, the past." She sighed and removed herself from his lap, walking over to the club chair and perched on the edge watching him with shadowed eyes.  
"Levy, I - " Gajeel was stumped. He could still feel the anxious worm of doubt in his stomach, twisting and dancing, sowing seeds of despair. The weight of misgivings in himself was reaching epic proportions. Bowing his head he sat unmoving and silent, lost in contemplation.  
"I don't think I've ever heard you speak my actual name before, Gajeel." Levy settled back into the comfortable chair, bringing her legs up to sit cross-legged. Pushing the front of her skirt down to preserve her modesty, she barked a harsh chuckle. "It takes rejecting me for you to say my name. That's how I know you mean it - "  
Gajeel snapped his head upright, the fire in his eyes stopped Levy from continuing her sentence.   
She could feel her dying spark of hope flare into renewed life. His eyes - so conflicted! Is this as confusing for him as it is for me? Levy witnessed the naked yearning painted on his face, as was the resolution to withhold happiness from himself. His red wine dark eyes almost glowed with suppressed emotion. She felt like she was peeping without permission into his soul.  
"It's not about what I want, It's about what's best for you," Gajeel grunted in a surly tone.   
In almost as bitter a tone, Levy scathingly replied. "If you're so concerned with giving me what I want and what's best for me, you should consult me before rendering a verdict without listening to all the evidence!" Each word was louder than the one before and she ended her impassioned speech with a pounded fist on the arm of the chair. Without thinking further, Levy launched herself at Gajeel.  
His dragon slayer reflexes allowed him to open his arms to the determined bluenette and roll with her hurled body so they were laying on the couch touching from head to toe. Her slight form trapped against the back of the sofa trembled with an excess of nerves. Gajeel crooned wordlessly into her ear and stroked one hand down her back while the other cradled her head. Gradually, she calmed as Gajeel became more worked up from caressing her form.  
"There's so much I should tell you before we explore this attraction any further." He groaned and rolled so Levy was sprawled atop his muscular form. "You are messing with my brain - I have reasons why this isn't a good idea. I decided that -"  
"Screw your reasons!" Levy snapped, "Screw you!" She started struggling against Gajeel. "Fuck your reasons if you can't talk to me like I might be able to make my own decisions!"  
"Levy!" Gajeel bellowed, "Goddammit! Stop twisting my words!" He didn't resist as she pushed down on his chest and levered herself up over his prone body. She glared at him full of such fury, he couldn't help but laugh. Deep, belly shaking chuckles shuddered his whole body.  
"Am I funny to you?" Levy hissed, even more pissed off. She was perched precariously with her knees gripping Gajeel's abdominals, her back hunched, with her hands trapped in his. Having lost her hair band minutes earlier, she growled her irritation at the hair sweeping in front of her eyes. "Stop laughing at me - you overgrown mountain of a man!"  
Another snicker burst from him lips. His face bore a comical mix of chagrin and apprehension. "I'm not laughing at you." Gajeel turned his head to try to shield his expression from the solid script mage. Yet another suspicious mirth-like sound escaped his mouth and it incensed Levy to new heights of displeasure.  
"I'm warning you Gajeel!"  
"I can't help it, It's a nervous response!"  
Grinning evilly, she replied, "So is this!" Levy impulsively leaned forward and enthusiastically bit the dragon slayer at the base of his neck.  
Levy was equal parts horrified and excited with her behaviour. She couldn't ever remember being so enraged or sexually stimulated. In the back of her mind, she felt as if she were witnessing herself at a distance. What am I doing? She relaxed her bite as Gajeel stopped laughing and instead began an almost imperceptible moan.  
"Shrimp, you gotta make up your mind fast!" His voice was rough and thick with desire. "It's probably too late for you to back out on me now; but if you back off right now, we can take it slow."  
Levy felt the tension from Gajeel ratchet up another notch. His body fairly hummed with stress. The diminutive girl closed her eyes and sighed, "What the hell are you talking about?"


	12. Stuck With Me

The iron dragon slayer sat up from his prone position, yet kept Levy from falling. "You need to leave, or yer gonna stay." His muscled arms trembled and shook, releasing Levy from his grip. Breathing heavy, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "You gotta leave or I won't let you go."

"Why?"

"Must you continually argue? Your time is up..." The red glowing eyes Levy saw were intimidating, yet regret was casting a shadow looming large. His black spiky hair was as rumpled as his clothes. Gajeel hunched over and growled. Scrambling backward, the girl put distance between them. "This is...your last...chance..."

A big ball of apprehension coiled in the pit of Levy's stomach. It writhed and grew and urged her to back away from Gajeel. The girl watched the man sit motionless on the couch. He rubbed his forehead and moaned in pain.

Levy smashed the hold fear had on her and ran to Gajeel, "Are you okay?"

At her touch, the pain faded and he accepted Levy was his mate. He laughed a short humourless bark, "I hope you're happy with your decision."

"What have I decided? I don't recall you asking me a proper question! I've had enough of this tonight. We can go over the mission points at the guild tomorrow." Levy scowled at Gajeel who was frowning back at her. She rubbed her temples, trying to ease the beginning of the tension headache she felt coming on. "I'd say I had a totally lovely time, but that would be a lie. I need to go home and think about what happened tonight."

"I'm walking you home." Standing up, the dragon slayer towered over Levy. She held a curiously blank expression on her face as he bent over to hold his face level with hers. "Don't fight me on this, it's late and I'm not letting my...you travel by yourself."

"Fine." Levy gritted out between clenched teeth. "Thanks for caring sooooo much about me."

Gajeel just grunted and led his unsuspecting mate out into the night. They walked the darkened streets in silence. Levy wasn't sure if the town was deserted or if people saw the mood Gajeel was in and just hid. Striding along, Levy felt her mood lift slightly. Her headache lessened and travelling behind Gajeel was a good way to enjoy looking at his tight and toned butt.

Arriving at Fairy Hills, Gajeel stopped at the back entrance and trapped Levy's hands in his. "Shrimp, I can't go into it right now, but you're stuck with me. You said you gotta think about what happened tonight - but it won't change the outcome. I can try to make it easier for you, but in the end, well..." His face was hidden in the shadows of the night, but Levy could still see the faint hint of red creeping up his cheeks.

"You need to communicate better Gajeel." Levy wrenched her hands free and immediately poked a stiffened finger into his pectoral muscle, "Stuck with you? What the hell are you talking about? Is it because I kissed you? That's nothing! I liked it, but it was what it was - just a kiss. We're both adults and we can do whatever the hell we want." She spun around and yanked open the door to the dorms, over her shoulder she added, "I'm not sure if I want any more of what you're offering." She let the door shut with a clang and ran up to her apartment.

The mage leaned against the side of the building until he heard Levy use her key to enter her rooms. He sighed and groaned rubbing his forehead, trying to keep the pain at bay. Eventually, the pain lessened and Gajeel trudged home to face an interrogation by his exceed.

"You had one job, and you blew it." Lily sat on his favourite pillow on Gajeel's bed, "All you had to do was seduce her." The exceed sat cross-legged, thrumming his paws on his knees. "And, she had at least half a bottle of wine in her. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Blotting rivulets of water from his hair, Gajeel glowered and forbear to answer his friend. He busied himself with finishing towelling off from his cold shower. After pulling on sleep pants, the mage crawled into bed. "Lily, there appears to be many things wrong with me. I don't know why I didn't just drag her into bed. I was going to, I was about to, and then...I couldn't. She was so concerned with my well-being...I had the biggest bitch of a headache and her touch quelled it. She's my mate and I owe it to her to at least try to make it easy for her to...accept me."

"Well, at least I like her. You coulda done worse with your choice of mate." Lily sniggered, "What if you'd wanted Evergreen? She's so damn bossy! A high maintenance dame if I ever saw one!" He turned off the bedside lamp. "It's a good thing I have my own room for when Levy moves in, but until then I guess I'll keep you company."

"Shuddup and sleep." Gajeel uttered these words with a heavy heart, sure that his heart was firmly in Levy's hands but distressed to think she might turn away from him.

In the morning, after a long restless night spent tossing and turning, Gajeel was cranky. He hurried through his morning ablutions and forwent brushing his hair in favour of tying it back with a bandana. He ate a cold breakfast standing over the sink, refusing eye contact with his friend. In a surly mood, Gajeel only replied in grunts to Lily's attempts to lighten his disposition. Exasperated, the exceed flew off to the guild, leaving his mage to trudge there alone.

Levy was riding a demonic see-saw of emotions. She was breakfasting alone in the guild, sitting at the furthest table from the front doors, shielded with a book to discourage conversation. A very large cup of coffee was helping to slowly improve her mood. The events of last night were having a traffic jam in her brain. An endless loop of her kissing Gajeel played as well as his cryptic words, 'I hope you're happy with your decision'. I didn't decide anything! He made me so damn angry - but I missed him and slept with his damn coat. I kissed him and rejected him. Maybe I can fix this on our mission. She sighed and shovelled another spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth.

Lily landed on her table and greeted her, "Good morning! Got room for me?" He smiled engagingly at the solid script mage. "Where's Jet and Droy?"

Hoping her fake smile would fool Lily, Levy lowered her book and shrugged. "Sometimes they take off on their own. When we first came back from Tenrou, they stuck like burrs to my ankles - but I think they know I'm back to stay." Remembering her good friends relaxed Levy and her smile shifted into a brilliant grin.

Mira bustled up to the table and placed a serving of kiwi juice in front of Lily and a carafe of coffee. She pointed to Levy's mug, "Need some more? Did you see when Natsu grabbed up Lucy last night? I'm going to be a godmother soon! I just know it!"

"Sure, thanks." Levy watched Mira pour and flit away to the next table to offer a top up and gossip. "I don't know how she keeps her energy up with as many hours as she puts in a the guild."

"Demon endurance is my guess." Lily took a sip of his beverage, "She does a lot of the paperwork here too. She found the Tilden swamp request for us after all." He grinned at the petite girl. "Me and Gajeel are a good team, but working with you is sure to be exciting."

"Um, thanks?" Levy grasped her mug and inhaled the fragrant aroma wafting off the coffee. "I don't think much of what I do is exciting - painstaking and carefully done research, yeah. For me, knowledge is power."

"That explains so much, Shrimp." Gajeel dropped into the chair next to Levy. "I'm afraid to give you more knowledge of Dragons, because I'm afraid of the power you'll have over me."


	13. Woo Me Properly

Lily gave his partner a considering look then glanced at Levy. "I forgot something at home. I'll catch you guys later." The exceed waved and exited the guild.

"In the interests of communicating clearly, I have a few things to confess." The iron dragon slayer gave Levy what could be considered an anaemic smile. He leaned over and removed her coffee mug from her hands and took a sip.

"Hey! That's mine!" She glared at Gajeel, "Why don't you get your own?" Surprised at the level of angry she was projecting, Levy blushed and took several calming breaths.

The saturnine man took another sip of Levy's beverage, "Can we go somewhere more private? What I need to tell you, I don't wish to share with all these jokers."

"Fine. Let's go to the basement document storage facility." Levy stood up and without waiting, headed for the passage leading to downstairs. It was deserted, not as well lighted as the main part of the guild and dusty from disuse.

She opened the door to the little used room and claimed a seat on one of the chairs grouped with a rickety table. Trying to keep a disinterested face, Levy crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

Placing the coffee back in front of Levy, Gajeel sat in the spindly chair next to his unsuspecting mate. "So, have you come to any conclusions over what happened last night?"

Levy snapped her head over to stare directly into Gajeel's eyes. "I thought you were going to confess to me."

"Let me start with an apology. I'm sorry I let you get the wrong idea about a few things." Gajeel nervously removed his bandana and scratched his head. "Last night I let you jump to a conclusion and now it feels like a lie - I wanna clear it up and try to start over. If you'll let me."

"I'm listening." She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands flat on the table, her gaze still captured by the tall man.

"Promise me you won't run out and you'll finish listening to me."

"Fine."

"I do know the difference between mating and sex - and I didn't have to find the answer in a damned book."

"So you were just having fun playing me for a fool?" Levy was distraught and tried to jerk out of her seat but was restrained by one solid hand grasping hers. "You let me embarrass myself repeatedly for your amusement."

"No, I wasn't amused. I don't know why I let you believe I was a virgin - maybe so we'd have more in common? Dammit, I'm sorry - but that isn't even the biggest thing I want to confess. You'remymate." He released his hand from her wrist and gripped the edge of the table if only to keep from reaching for her.

His rushed words made absolutely no sense to the solid script mage as she was still struggling with his non-virgin status. "Huh?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gajeel reached out for the coffee. Levy slapped his hand and snatched it up to gulp half of it down. He let out an involuntary snarl and was surprised by her answering lip curl and the faintest of growls. Shocked, she half dropped, half placed the mug of coffee on the table and clapped her hands over her mouth. Her hazel eyes huge, she squeaked her mortification.

"Sorry! I'm your what now?" Levy cocked her head to the side and peered around the room as if looking for people only waiting to jump out and yell "Surprise - April fools!" Gajeel grunted and it focused her attention back to the shaggy haired mage. "I refuse to believe you."

"I can help you with that." Gajeel was unsure of his future path. He'd apologised and confessed, but the hostility Levy was showing had not been part of his projected plan. He had been sure telling her they were mates would have made her happy. Sure that she would run into his arms, he was confused as to what he should now do to rectify the situation.

Levy sat unmoving and silent as she considered the look of chagrin on Gajeel's face. His posture was rigid and his whole body exuded tenseness. "I told you last night I wasn't sure if I wanted any more of what you're offering." Gajeel opened his mouth to interject, but Levy raised her hand in a 'stop' gesture and pressed on with her thoughts, "I was hasty, I was confused, angry, aroused and so many other things swirling around and confusing me."

"I'm confused too, Shrimp."

"Then how are you going to help me believe you? Mind you, I don't even know if I want to be persuaded." She took no pleasure in the shocked face Gajeel presented. Levy bluntly stated, "The more I get to know you, the more I want to learn. I wasn't learning about dragons just to help Lucy, I was helping myself."

Her words struck a chord in the male. He was drowning under the avalanche of words Levy spoke, her voice soft and even as she shredded his confidence effortlessly. He remembered the way Levy had kissed him, how she'd clambered onto his lap and willingly touched him.

"I'm going to help the both of us, and then you'll understand." Gajeel slowly stood up and walked to stand behind Levy. He gently placed both hands on her shoulders, she squeaked at the unexpected warmth, but otherwise didn't react verbally. Her heart pounded faster and a charming blush tinged her skin all over a delicate rose. Gajeel bent over and inhaled Levy's unique aroma.

Levy was content in the moment to allow Gajeel free reign. She bowed her head forward slightly and watched his hands slide forward, caressing her collarbones and teasing the tops of her breasts. She closed her eyes when his breath tickled her right ear and moaned as his calloused fingers crept under the neckline of her sweater. His hands retreated and she sighed. Reacting to her disappointment, he popped open the top buttons, exposing her bra. Levy shifted, pressing her thighs together to try to alleviate the arousal coiling low in her belly.

With the merest brush of his hands, Levy felt intense yearning. No longer satisfied to placidly submit, she trapped his hands under hers and pressed them over her straining breasts. A pleased chuff of air blew against her neck and he followed with the merest scrape of his teeth on the juncture of her neck. Warm and wet, his tongue bathed her skin, causing prickles of goose bumps to dance. Vaguely, Levy was aware of heavy breathing, was it his or hers?

A short sharp pinch broke her lassitude, "What the hell?" Levy broke away from Gajeel to whirl around and raise accusing eyes to his. "Did you seriously just bite me?"

He shrugged, "Yah, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. You already marked me - I thought you did research." Gajeel smirked and thrust his hands into his pockets. "Last night I said I hoped you were happy with your decision - you wouldn't leave and now you'll always be mine."

Squinting at the large male, the diminutive blue haired girl leaned against the table. "You mean to tell me that because I bit you, and then you bit me - we're mates?"

Red faced, Gajeel muttered, "There's more to it than that...I've never..." His words trailed off and he flushed a darker red, "...never felt like this before. You give me urges for more than just sex."

Nodding thoughtfully, Levy pondered this new information. "So, if we had sex, we'd be mated - but...if we just fooled around...mmmm..."

"Knowledge is power," Gajeel said sourly, "Power I think you'll be wielding over me all my days and nights." He made what Levy considered a pouting face at which she giggled. "So that's what I had to get off my chest, I consider you my mate. You won't be able to ever get rid of me. I think you already know, a dragon is loyal and when they commit, it's forever."

"I haven't agreed in words or deed."

"You practically gave me a lap dance last night, not to mention the way you kissed me! Five minutes ago you forced my hands over your chest!" Gajeel was thunderstruck. His woman was coolly debating their relationship status.

Arching an eyebrow, Levy giggled. "Force? Like little ole me could compel the big bad dragon slayer into anything! I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes unless you can woo me properly." Levy wiggled backward to sit on the edge of the table. "I think we can agree we're physically attracted to each other, but forever is a long time to be tied to someone if that's all there is to their relationship."

"Oh, there's more than just lust, Shrimp." Gajeel smirked, "There's how much I admire your smarts and magic. How kind you are and forgiving - even though you've never learned to share coffee. Gi he he."

Smiling, Levy scooted off the table, "That's mostly nice of you to say, but you're not going to weasel out of courting me. You can come with me to the library to research Tilden swamp."

"Sounds good, then you can come with me to scout out a new cake shop." The tall mage crossed his arms over his chest as if daring Levy to argue. "I'm under orders to have the next destination of the Dessert Club selected before we go to the ice cream parlour in Gray's neighbourhood."

"Let's get going then," Levy strutted past Gajeel. Her hips swayed with insouciance, knowing his eyes were following her, giving her the impetus to tease. His large hands were suddenly gripping her hips and she felt his warmth bathing her back. His fingers dug into her flesh and she was aware he had his lips almost making contact with her ear.

"I will show you all the things you mean to me - you will accept me as your mate. Physical love isn't the most important weapon in my arsenal, but I will use desire to our mutual satisfaction."

Levy shivered but deigned to respond. She started forward once more and led Gajeel to the back exit of the guild. The walk to the library was short, it was still mid-morning and there were few people strolling about and fewer still inside their destination. With long familiarity, Levy made for the map room and quickly selected an appropriate atlas. The slayer watched her become absorbed in the map. He read over her shoulder, touching her shoulder gently so as not to startle her.

"I'm going to check out the newspapers - be back in a bit."

Levy absently nodded, absorbed in her research.

Flipping the pages searching for advertisements for bakeries; Gajeel sighed, wondering when he'd become so easily roped into participating in such a frivolous pastime as belonging to a club for consuming desserts.

Lily flew into the library, searching for his two humans. He spotted Gajeel and dropped onto the table in front of him. "So! How did it go? Seal the deal yet?"

"Not exactly," Gajeel quickly checked to see if anyone would overhear him talking with his exceed. "We had a good conversation and I confessed she's my mate. I just have to convince her it's more than just sex."

Lily snorted at Gajeel, "Why'd you go and tell her she's your mate?"

"I couldn't take the chance she'd just walk away from me as a lost cause. I had to feed her curiosity. She's damn smart and this is the most important thing that I never knew I would have."


	14. Dragons Like to Chase

"Hi Gajeel! Nice to see you and Lily here at the library! I don't suppose you know where Levy is?" Lucy smiled at her two guild mates. Gajeel pointed to the map room and the blonde nodded her thanks. The mage and exceed started studying the ads in earnest.

Shutting the door tight behind her, Lucy ran over to Levy and clapped her hands. "How goes the Gajeel hunt?"

"I think I messed up big time Lucy!" Levy sighed and dropped the atlas she'd been studying. "I'm trying to emulate some of the characteristics I admire about Gajeel like those relationship books suggested, but I can't seem to growl cutely. I tried and it came out angry. I've tried to be confident, but I think I come off sounding like," she whispered, "a bitch."

Lucy allowed herself a small chuckle before hugging her distraught best friend. "Relationship books need to be taken with a very large grain of salt! The people who write those usually aren't even in one!"

"I've gone so far outside my comfort zone, I may need a passport to get back!" Levy dropped into a nearby chair and turned her woebegone face to Lucy. "The biggest bad piece of advice I took was saying no when I wanted to say yes - basically doing the opposite of everything I would normally do. I made him think I didn't want to be with him."

"I don't think he's gonna be chased off by anything you said!" Lucy said encouragingly. "I've seen him watch you in the guild."

The bluenette raised her sad eyes to her friend, "He basically said we were mates and I said I didn't know if I wanted any more of what he was offering - I told him he'd have to court me! I've ruined everything!"

The blonde celestial mage dropped into the other chair facing Levy. "Oh my word. Gajeel outright said he was your mate?"

Frowning in concentration, Levy remembered more of the conversation, "He said I was his mate...he considers me his and I won't ever be able to get rid of him. I said I hadn't agreed and I refused to believe him. I said if there was only passion between us, it wouldn't be enough!"

Thoughtfully Lucy drummed her fingers on her knee. "You're right about that."

"I am?" Levy tilted her head confusedly, "I haven't ruined everything?"

"Of course not! Some of this is just too fast. How long have you been crushing on Gajeel?"

"Um, pretty much since Tenrou Island."

"And how much have you interacted with him?"

"Not really a lot - but he joined the Dessert Club the week after I did. We have meetings about once a month."

"And suddenly you're thrown into his orbit and he goes all Juvia on you? No wonder you're confused! No matter how much you like him, it's too sudden a change." Lucy leaned forward and patted Levy's knee. "Stick to your guns and have him court you. Throw out that relationship book and just be yourself. He likes you, not that distorted reflection that book is trying to turn you into."

"Heh, nice image Lucy! I just imagined Gajeel with hearts in his eyes declaring his love for me in front of the whole guild!" Levy felt the churning in her stomach start to subside. "To be honest, I think we have more than just passion between us. He respects my magic and intelligence." She laced her fingers together and sat them in her lap, giving Lucy a soft smile. "He didn't really go full-Juvia. Can I even really say that? He told me I was his - Juvia always tells Gray that she loves him."

Matching looks of surprise and comprehension chased across their faces. Lucy sat back and crossed her legs. "Sounds like he's told you he'll have you as mate but he isn't making it a two way street. Personally, I dislike having my choices made for me - even if my answer would've been the same."

"He's made it abundantly clear he wants me, but does he love me?" Levy produced a smile, "As long as there's a seed, love can grow. I can be a damn good gardener." She giggled and excitement shone in her face. "I'm going to be myself! No more relying on second-rate relationship books."

"Good for you! We should double date! How about the day after your club meeting?"

"Oh, that's a good idea, but I have a mission planned with Lily and Gajeel. I can't believe I haven't told you before now! You did leave the guild slung over Natsu's shoulder -" Levy blushed and tittered louder, "before Lisanna could pass me the mission paper. There's an inheritance hiding in Tilden swamp with clues hidden in some sort of journal."

Lucy smirked, "Is this a Mira special mission? I highly recommend them!" The blonde pushed herself up and out of her chair. "I promised to meet Natsu over at his house, in a bit - I have to be going."

The petite blue haired girl jumped out of her chair and fiercely hugged her best friend. "Thanks for talking this through with me. Let's hang out soon."

"Of course, any time!" Lucy returned the squeeze and took a small step back to peer into Levy's eyes. "Be yourself and everything will turn out fine." She turned and opened the door to exit the map room. Gajeel was walking in at the same time and almost collided with the celestial mage.

"Excuse me! Nice to see you, but I gotta run," Lucy playfully punched Gajeel in the shoulder. "Treat Levy good or you'll answer to me." She giggled and exited swiftly, her mind flying ahead to her rendezvous with Natsu.

Lily saw the blush on Levy's downcast face, teary eyes, her trembling hands and gave a mighty internal sigh. Quietly, he closed the door and sat guarding against intruders.

"So, Shrimp..." Gajeel reached out to lightly touch her shoulder, "...what's got you so quiet and upset looking?"

She took a deep breath, held it and slowly let the air escape. "I want to apologise to you Gajeel. I haven't exactly been myself lately."

"Whatcha talkin' about?" He shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to keep from encroaching her personal space. "More important, what were you and Bunny Girl flapping yer yaps about?"

"In a minute, right now I gotta come clean Gajeel!" Levy clutched the bottom of her skirt and twisted the fabric nervously. "You know I've been reading books about dragons and slayers to gain knowledge. I also read and, I, uh...followed some not-so-good advice from a relationship book." Her face steadily grew brighter with embarrassment. "I've been emulating some of your traits I find admirable. I've said yes when I really wanted to say no and vice versa..." Her soft voice trailed off as she shifted her weight and her eyes darted all around the room, avoiding his steady gaze.

"Look at me, woman."

Wide hazel eyes hesitantly lifted to meet with wine red orbs. Levy licked her suddenly dry lips and stood immobile as the predatory male knelt down to bring his gaze level with hers. Strong hands cupped her chin and sent her heart racing. She blinked frantically, trying without success to keep her tears at bay.

"You find me admirable?"

Not trusting her voice, Levy nodded.

"What did you say no to?" Gajeel grunted softly as a few tears escaped Levy's control. He carefully brushed the rivulet of salty fluid away and waited for her to respond.

"I - I...It wasn't no, so much as replying the opposite of what I truly felt. I said I didn't believe you when you stated I was your mate, and I wasn't sure if I wanted what you were offering." Levy took another deep fortifying breath. "I didn't really say yes to anything I meant no to either, I gave myself permission to be bold and touch you like I've wanted to. To break out of my shy bookworm persona and live the passions I've only read about."

Gajeel wrapped his arms around the amazing girl fate had gifted him with. She tensed up and then relaxed as the iron studded mage made no further remarks or demands. They clung to each other in the silent room. Levy let out a startled shriek as Gajeel stood up, hoisting her off her feet.

"Let's back up a coupla steps and have a do-over, Shrimp."

"Not too many steps," Levy sighed into his ear. She was being held flush against his muscular chest, trapped in place by his talented hands cupping her derriere.

He angled his lips to her ear and whispered, "I do like the idea of courting you. But I gotta warn ya, Dragons like to chase."


	15. You Free Tonight?

Levy set aside the book with the most detailed map of the Tilden swamp and turned to Gajeel who was sitting in a chair, wearing what she supposed was a faint smile. It was hard to tell, his eyes were hooded, but the ends of him mouth were slightly up-turned. "Are you just going to watch?"

Gajeel grunted and shrugged. Pantherlily, hearing no sounds of passion from the other side of the door gauged the time was right to join his friends. The exceed donned his most charming smile and jumped onto the table, sitting down next to Levy's work station. Levy made another notation on her list and grinned back at Lily.

"You were right Lily, we're going to be an exciting team."

Lily nodded and gave Gajeel the best thumbs-up gesture his paws could manage. The two males watched Levy sieve information from assorted tomes. She was humming happily as she flipped through reference books and correlated points and scribbled notes in a journal. "If you're bored, feel free to help or find something to do." A big smile lit up her face, making her eyes sparkle.

"As exciting a team we will be, I'm gonna find something else to do. I'm behind on my training schedule. I'll catch ya later!" Lily waved good-bye and flew out of the room.

"I didn't mean to chase Lily away!" Levy tucked a loose strand of hair behind an ear and watched Gajeel mirror her action. Quickly she looked down and started tracing the outline of the swamp.

Her breath hitched as he stood up and walked around to loom behind her. She was leaning over the table, poring over a detailed map of the swamp, pretending full absorption in her task. Gajeel edged closer and corralled her against the table with his hips and caged her with his arms on both sides, palms planted flat on the table. He peered down at her papers scattered about. "I'd help, but you look like you already have an established routine that would take you far longer to explain than just to get on with."

Pink suffused her cheeks and Levy set down her pen. "Well, I am used to planning and gathering the information by myself. I've just about done all I can do without more puzzle pieces." She began to shuffle the papers into a semblance of order, tucking the few loose documents into her journal. "I'm glad to have this opportunity to work with you and help someone."

Being this close to Gajeel was a delightful torture. His height and solid presence was comforting on one level and distracting on the next. Levy felt her hands perspire and wiped them off on her thighs. Coils of heat gathered low in her stomach and threatened to explode as Gajeel pressed a little more against Levy's petite frame.

"You wanna check out some new bakeries with me?" Gajeel allowed his right hand to glide over Levy's shoulder and caress her neck. He chuckled softly as she shivered in reaction.

The blue haired bookworm twisted to face the dragon slayer. "Yes, I would like that very much." Her simple answer was rewarded with a blinding smile from the man. Levy's breath was caught in her chest; his face always darkly severe and attractive, gained a touch of boyishness.

"You free tonight?"

"Okay!"

"I'll pick you up from Fairy Hills at five pm then, we can grab a light dinner and then find the next great strawberry cake seller. Gi he he!" Mindful of the open doorway, Gajeel placed a small kiss to his woman's cheek and strode off to occupy the rest of his afternoon.

Levy hugged herself and closed her eyes, reliving the swift press of her man's lips and the desire he'd semi-intentionally created. A short exclamation of, "Oh!" escaped her lips as Levy realized her first real date with Gajeel would be tonight. Giddy, she scooped up her possessions and scampered out of the library towards Fairy Hills.

Pacing nervously in the large foyer of Fairy Hills, Levy adjusted her headband yet again. It was a quarter to five and she had been pacing for fifteen minutes already. It had been a crazy afternoon filled with personal grooming and outfit selection. Tonight's short skirt was a silky black creation, paired with a halter styled top, a shade of blue that matched her hair. The bluenette stopped in front of a mirror hanging over a credenza and smoothed the fabric of her skirt over her hips and adjusted the amount of skin showing of her décolleté.

"You look nice, Shrimp!" Gajeel greeted Levy, wincing as he unintentionally called her by his favourite nickname. "We've got three places to hit after dinner, so let's get goin'." He held out his hand to her and waggled his fingers. "C'mon."

A little embarrassed to have been seen adjusting her bosoms, Levy could feel her cheeks colour. "You look very handsome, Gajeel." She walked over to him and placed her hand in his large palm. "Where are we going?"

"Gi hehe! One of my favourite noodle bars! It's fast and delicious without being too filling. I wasn't kidding about having three joints to check out after - I gotta find the best new spot for the Dessert club or Erza will want to club me."

Walking at a leisurely pace, they exited the foyer of Fairy Hills and made their way downtown. Levy kept sneaking peaks at her date, almost unable to believe that Gajeel was holding her hand, strolling down the road with her. He stopped in front of a non-descript building and opened the door for her, ushering Levy inside. The noodle bar was small and decorated with hundreds of pictures of couples, but spotlessly clean. An older duo greeted Gajeel by name and welcomed Levy effusively. In no time at all, they were sitting down enjoying a pair of beers and chatting over trivialities as if they'd gone on countless dates.

"This is a really nice place Gajeel! I'm glad you took me here." Levy smiled and took another sip of her brew. "So many pictures! I think I see three different ones of Loke!"

"Gi hehe! Yah, with three different girls! Look over on that wall," Gajeel pointed and Levy turned to search where he'd indicated. "The oldest picture of the youngest couple is of the owners. They've been in lo-, uh, business for close to thirty years."

"That's so awesome!"

Their meal was served rapidly and they consumed it, slurping with gusto. Gajeel threw jewels down on the table to pay for the food, offering Levy his arm to escort her out of the building. Gajeel herded his date towards the high rent district and the first bakery on his list. The fifteen minute walk was leisurely and allowed their food to settle.

"I found three likely places to try; Bell's Oven, Dessert Island and a business called Sugar Sweets." Gajeel grunted out this information, colouring slightly.

Levy noticed the tips of his ears turning pink and giggled. "I was wondering why Erza has you scouting new places to try? She asked me a dozen times to join the club before I gave in. I flat out told her I wouldn't do anything other than hang out and eat and you're the vice-president. I never knew you had such a sweet tooth!"

"Erza has a bit of a reputation with the bakers in town." Gajeel smirked, "They love having her business, but the nosey and endless questions about their secret recipes they could do without. So this first place is near the ice cream parlour we're going to the day after tomorrow."

"It's a good thing we're doing all this walking! Three desserts in one evening is very decadent."

Leering, Gajeel checked out Levy's ass. "You've got a nice double handful."

Playfully, Levy smacked the tall mage on the arm. "What would you do if I said that to you?"

"Anytime, anywhere! Gi hehe!"

"Really?!" Levy dragged a very non-resisting Gajeel into the nearest alley, walked past a delivery vehicle and proceeded to push the dragon slayer against the wall. She happily ran teasing hands over his chest. "I've got the upper hand. So, you'd let me -"

The lustful look dropped from Gajeel's face and he pulled Levy to his side, "There's someone coming down the alley, and another following."

Gray was walking fast, almost jogging. His strides causing his necklace to bounce and dance on his muscled chest. He was intent on gaining entrance to his building and didn't notice Levy or Gajeel. Juvia had timed her excursion just right and was in the perfect spot to witness him dropping the last stitch of clothing as he power stripped. Not even trying to hide her smile of appreciation, Juvia collected Gray's boxers and placed them on top of his pants she'd 'found' earlier.

She leaned back against the wall of the alley and watched his bare butt run up the stairs to his apartment building. Juvia was still wearing a shit eating grin when she turned to leave and came face-to-face with Gajeel and Levy as they stepped out from behind the vehicle.

"Juvia would appreciate it if you didn't tell Gray Juvia knows his schedule." Blushing a soft pink, Juvia shifted the bag of clothes to her other arm. "Juvia needs a few more to fill her pillow."

Levy giggled at the confused look on the dragon slayer's face and patted his arm, "I'll fill you in on that in a bit." Getting closer to Juvia, Levy gave the water woman an impulsive hug. "Maybe you should give Gray his clothes back as a present. I think he'd really like that."

"Juvia will think about it - thank you for not freaking out." Waving cheerfully goodbye, Juvia sauntered out of the alley and turned left to head home to Fairy Hills.

Gajeel snorted, "Juvia is doing what with the stripper's clothes?"

His diminutive date grabbed his hand and tugged. "Which way to the first bakery on the list? Well, she heard me and Lucy talking about Natsu's panty collection. He has a pillow case full of panties he's won wrestling with Lucy. Juvia decided she'd do the same."

"Gi hehe! Maybe this should be a guild wide thing - of course since you're so tiny, I'd probably have to collect for years before I had enough to sleep on."

Levy's reply caused Gajeel to 'oof' as her elbow connected with his diaphragm. "Let's get some dessert and we'll see about you getting some underwear at the end of this evening."


	16. Live in the Moment

Gajeel smiled broadly and nodded to Levy, "Okay, we're real close to the first place."

Bell's Oven was a very small location. Matter of fact, it was tiny. There were no tables or counters available to sit at and eat. It was purely designed to sell take-away. There were a few tall free standing racks filled with bread and pre-packaged cookies. The display counters held fancy assortments of petit-fours and tarts. Gajeel scanned the display of baked goods, looking for the item mentioned in the ad that had piqued his interest.

Levy had already whipped out her note book and was scribbling down a list of what the bakery offered. She grinned to see the dragon slayer lean over and stare intently at the bottom area of the display case. He engaged the clerk in conversation and had a medium sized box filled with assorted treats before Levy had finished writing her notes.

"Gi hehe! Let's get going - there's benches around the fountain down the next street on the way to the next place." Gajeel opened the door and ushered Levy out of the sweet shop. Bemused with the quick in and out of the establishment, she kept quiet until they reached the series of benches.

"So, that was very fast Gajeel! Do you always decide without input from your date?" Levy softened her words with a gentle smile. "Or has Erza given you special work instructions regarding bakery assessments?"

The tall male had already sat down and was opening the package as Levy spoke. He lifted his eyes to his date and patted the spot next to him on the bench. "Yah, she even wrote it down on pink paper and laminated the instructions. It's easier and faster just to do what she wants you to." He shrugged and offered the bluenette the first sample, shaking his head when she reached for it with her fingers. He held it up to her lips and fed her.

Feeling mischievous, Levy nipped Gajeel's fingers. She giggled as he reacted with a low growl. After chewing and swallowing, she closed her eyes to savour the taste. "Ah, chocolate is sooooo good!" Eyes bright, she shifted closer and chose another sample from the box sitting on Gajeel's lap. Carefully, she lifted a square cookie to her date's mouth. "Open!" He obliged and took a bite. Levy ate the rest of it, licking the crumbs off her fingers daintily.

"You want to try the strawberry cake next?" Gajeel dug into the cake slice, spearing a strawberry and held it up to Levy's lips. She smiled and gasped when he pulled it away and ate it. "Yah, that's enough of feeding you!" He smirked and forked another bite of the cake. "Help yourself to whatever you want."

"Oh, I will." Levy cooed. She placed one hand on his leg, pressing lightly. She leaned over the box of desserts and made sure to lock gazes with Gajeel as she deliberated over which treat to taste. She picked up a green iced square and popped it into her mouth at the same time pinching his thigh.

He smirked and made no other response to Levy's physical assault. "I think we can get going to the next place." The dragon slayer carefully shut the container and offered Levy his hand after he gained his feet.

She smiled sweetly and placed her small hand in his. They walked at an easy pace for a few blocks. Levy was sure her palms were sweaty, and that Gajeel could hear the fast thumping of her heart. "What would you say if I wanted to ditch checking out the other bakeries and go back to your place?"

Levy's bold words stopped the iron dragon slayer in his tracks. He tugged his petite date closer and cocked his head to the side, giving consideration to his reply. "Hells yah." Gajeel smirked, walking faster to lead them back to his house. What before was a leisurely walk filled with aimless people watching and desultory conversation became a race to cut through crowds.

They were four blocks away from Gajeel's house when a familiar scent teased the dragon slayer's nostrils. "Shrimp, we're gonna make a little detour to avoid Erza, okay?"

"Why?" Levy was perplexed. "You don't want her seeing me with you?"

"Nuthin' like that! My special work instructions say I'm supposed to check out the bakeries by myself. And more importantly, I told her I was already done."

Levy guffawed and then clapped a hand over her mouth, ashamed to have laughed at such a thing. "I wanna see what she's doing sitting there alone." She pulled out of his grasp and scuttled forward, peeking around the corner and watching the lone red haired woman.

Erza was on a bench holding a cardboard bakery box on her lap. She turned to watch the passersby and at this point, Levy could tell the cookie hanging out of her mouth was decorated with blue icing, a bit of red and white. She finished it and grabbed up another, holding it up to admire it before consuming. Levy almost squealed with excitement, the gingerbread figures had been decorated with blue hair, a red tattoo and a stylish coat.

"Gajeel, you are not going to believe this, she's had gingerbread men decorated to look like Jellal!"

"Gi he he! I know where she got them from!"

Levy stepped back from the corner she had been spying on Erza from, and turned to face Gajeel. "Oh? Are you telling me you've done that?"

"Hell no! Juvia did! We can cut through this alley to get down the next street." Gajeel took the lead and within ten minutes, he was opening his front door and calling Lily's name to see if he was home.

"Looks like we have the house to ourselves at the moment. I'll put the baked goods away - do you want a drink?"

"Sure, whatever you're drinking Gajeel. I'd like to freshen up, please excuse me." Levy slipped away to the bath room and splashed water over her wrists. She peered into the mirror and checked her teeth. Exiting, she closed the door and stood in the hallway. To the left was the kitchen, and down the hall on the right was Gajeel's bedroom. Knowing he'd be able to find her with his heightened dragon slayer senses, she decided to tour his room.

Slowly pushing the door open, Levy stepped just over the threshold and perused Gajeel's personal space. The bed had to be king sized, the comforter on it was a geometric print and had four matching pillows. The carpet was very soft and a light gray. The walls were painted a boring tan. In the corner with a large picture window stood an odd aggregate of metal components. The window had dark brown curtains that were shut tightly.

A soft knock on the door startled Levy, "Oh! Sorry, but I was curious. I hope you don't mind me looking around." She gave Gajeel an uncertain smile. "It's a little plain, but nice. I have artwork on my bedroom walls, have you ever thought to put some up for yourself?"

Gajeel handed Levy a beer and took a swig from his own bottle. "I'd consider putting some up." He sauntered over to the bed and set his drink on the bedside table and then sat, patting the spot beside him. "C'mere."

Even though Levy had spent a long time dreaming various scenarios where she was in close intimate proximity to Gajeel, she froze. He crooked a finger at her; maintaining eye contact that made her heart thud loud, she walked over to the waiting male. He took the bottle from her unresisting hands and set it next to his. With him sitting down and her standing, they were almost equal in height.

"Mmmm..." Levy tried to say something, anything; nerves and shyness suppressed her tongue.

"Levy, I want to say up front - we can just hang out and you don't have to feel that we gotta do anything." His wine dark eyes were steady and soft. "Yah, 'course I want to... but I don't want to scare you away."

The petite woman reached out one hand and tugged Gajeel's bandana undone and off. Levy dropped the piece of fabric on the carpet and stepped closer. Next, she trailed her cool fingers down his cheeks and neck to between his sculpted pectoral muscles. Swallowing her nerves, Levy unbuttoned three sets of closures on his shirt.

"I, uh...I've been thinking about this for a while now." Breathing a little heavier, Levy gave Gajeel a brilliant smile. "I know I want to touch you and have you touch me."

Slowly, Gajeel leaned forward and pressed his lips to just under Levy's ear. When she shivered and gasped, he licked the sensitive patch of skin until she let out a soft moan. Gently he took hold of her arms and simultaneously laid back and pulled her body overtop his.

"You okay with this?"

Levy blushed. It was hard not to, dreams hadn't prepared her for the intense rush of sensations of being pressed against such a muscled man. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed herself up and let her knees spread so she was sitting just above his hips. It had been just a few seconds to manoeuvre herself and Gajeel hadn't moved at all. Experimentally, she shifted her hips and was rewarded with the softest of groans from him.

Bouncing his words back to him she murmured, "You okay with this?" Breathing a little harder, Levy stared down at the mage she held trapped with her slight weight. His eyes were open and a little glassy. Levy pushed her doubts into a room in her mind and locked it. She would allow herself to feel and live in the moment.


	17. More Proof

Slowly, her eyelids drifted shut and she brought her parted lips to ghost over Gajeel's. He craned his head forward to join their mouths together and slipped his hands over her hips. She could feel his lips quirk in a smile as she pulled away slightly. Levy wanted to remain in control of herself and the direction they travelled in concert.

"I can't quite believe we're doing this," Levy whispered against Gajeel's warm lips. "Do you know how many times you've been featured in my dreams?" She darted the tip of her tongue out, tasting the seam of his lips. Gaining entrance to his mouth was sinfully easy - she battled for possession of his tongue, and won. Moaning strongly, Levy moved her hands from his shoulders to cup his face as she bent over Gajeel.

"Do you need more proof?" Gajeel took a deep breath and arched his spine, simultaneously pushing Levy to ride lower on his hips. Her eyes snapped open and her cheeks heated a deeper red to match the swirling depths of his eyes.

Levy bit her lower lip and sighed with pleasure, she felt her muscles begin to lose cohesion - the only thing keeping her anchored to Earthland being Gajeel's body. Through her hands, the insides of her thighs and her buttocks - she felt connected to the dragon slayer. A joining not only of flesh, but soul and desire.

He stared up at her delicate face, her hazel eyes smouldering now with ecstasy - joy wrung from a few slow kisses and caresses. "Dammit woman, you're making me crazy!" Gajeel swore heatedly, "Fuck! You're killing me!"

"Oh, I think you can take more torture than this - besides," Levy smiled gently as she clenched her thighs together, "you know just as well as I do that we're not really ready to have sex." As if to make her words a lie, Levy ground down against his groin. He growled curses that only served to excite his woman further and induce her to grind harder against his body.

The fingers digging into her hips flowed up her waist and converged on her breasts. Gasping loudly, Levy clamped her eyes shut as Gajeel thumbed her nipples into hard nubs. After a brief internal conflict, Levy unsnapped her halter top and allowed it to drop. His hands were able to cover each breast. His rough palms felt absurdly good, abrading each tensed nipple, sending ripples of heat coiling in Levy's abdomen. She threw her head back and moaned in time with the movement of his hands.

"Aaaahhh!" Levy practically sobbed. "I can't take much more of this!"

"Gi hehehe! I thought you were the one doling out the torture - can't take any of what you're dishin' out?" Gajeel brought his hands down to capture Levy's ribcage and rolled them both over so they were laying on the bed on their sides. Quickly, he slid an arm under Levy's head and began kissing her anew. Boldly, he took his free hand and slid it under her skirt. At first, he just kept his fingers circling the soft skin of her hip; as her moans gathered in strength, he wandered his hand to rest against the apex of her thighs.

"Dammit!" Levy swore, "Fuck!" Unable to string more coherent words together, she abandoned speech and pushed her body against his hand. She used the arm not partially trapped under her body to rub his pectoral muscles. Needing more contact, she slid her hand over his abdominal ridges, only to have her hand trapped by his as she attempted to dive into the gap between his pants and skin.

"I think this is all I can handle right now, I'm really worked up, and your touch is too incredible for my paltry words." Gajeel's voice was taut and close to breaking. He captured her lips to stay her words, kissing deeply for several heart beats. Breaking for air, he sat up and looked over at the woman sprawling seemingly boneless on his bed. "You look fantastic laying there like that - but I think we should move to the living room."

Levy with a languorous smile, stretched and slowly pushed herself up. She ignored her state of undress and caught Gajeel's gaze with her own. "I feel fantastic, don't doubt I want you."

"Oh, I think the clues yer givin' me are pretty good. Part of me is cursing myself for not rushing to claim you...but slowly learning you is also a sweet delight." Gajeel flushed after replaying his words in his head. His discomfort forgotten in a rush as Levy proffered her neck to him and asked him to re-fasten her halter top. She gathered her hair out of the way and sat with her back exposed, breathing shallowly. He reached around and drew the fabric over her perky bosoms, kissing the nape of her neck before allowing the snap to click together.

She shook her head when he offered her the now warm beer. "Thanks, but no. I cannot stomach warm beer. I'm gonna let you enjoy that." She giggled and slipped off the bed, running lightly to the living room. "Wanna watch some lacrimavision?"

He slipped to the kitchen and pulled out a frozen mug from the freezer, pouring the remainder of both beers into it. He snagged a fresh one out of the fridge and walked to the living room. "Here." Gajeel sat next to Levy and placed the icy bottle in her hands. Using the remote, he clicked on the unit and flipped channels until he found a movie pleasing to the both of them.

Over the course of the movie Levy fell asleep. Gajeel at first was a little miffed that the petite woman had relaxed to unconsciousness, then realized is showed her extreme level of trust. He drew her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. That was the position Lily found them in when he arrived home.

"Way to go Gajeel! I assume you've tired her out?" Lily laughed. "I had the best work out and training session ever!"

"It's not like that!" Gajeel hissed. "We're taking it slow - she deserves better than me, but for whatever reason, she wants me."

"Relax!" The exceed smirked, "You two do look very cute snuggled up on the couch. Once you're mated properly, we can all sleep on the couch after marathon sessions of lacrimavision."

"Shut it." Gajeel said this without heat. "I gotta wake her up to take her home. Want to come for the walk?"

"Oh, hell no!" Lily jumped to sit beside his friend. "Two's company, three is a crowd - you need more time alone with your woman. You might want to get past second base at some point. Gi hehe!"

Gajeel swatted at the chortling cat. Lily used his wings to fly out of reach and kept laughing.

This roused Levy from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes and stretched. "Oh, sorry I fell asleep! It might have been all that dessert sending me off to dreamland."

"Hi Levy! Nice to see you, this talk of sleep has me wanting my bed too." Lily smiled and waved on his way out of the living room.

"I'll walk you home."

"Sure!" Levy shyly smiled. "I hope this walk home is more pleasant than the last time."

"Oh, yah...we're definitely on better terms this time around." The chagrined look on Gajeel's face faded to be replaced with optimism. "C'mon. A walk is just what we need to burn off some of that dessert."

"Hey, I need to use the facilities before making the trek home, be back in a few." Levy hurried into the washroom and giggled to herself as she stepped out of her panties. Folding them up, she palmed them and looked for somewhere to leave them. Spying a large terrycloth robe hanging up on the back of the door, she decided to put them in one of the pockets. Tugging her skirt down a bit more, Levy sauntered out of the small room and down the hallway to where Gajeel was waiting patiently.

This walk home with Gajeel was much more pleasant. Levy felt protected, her hand enveloped by his strong grip. They kept a companionable silence and before either of them realized it, they had arrived at Fairy Hills. Levy strode to the back entrance and turned around to face Gajeel, leaning against the door.

"Seems like my place is getting closer all the time!" Levy giggled. "I have some chores I've been putting off for a while now, I've got to do them before we leave on our mission. I won't be able to see you tomorrow, but I'll be there for the Dessert Club meeting." She smiled sweetly up a the pierced mage. "I left you a present in your bathrobe you had hanging up in the bathroom."

"What would that be? You weren't carrying anything, nor did we go into any stores." Gajeel frowned, "The only thing I saw you with was your notebook and pen."

"Um, I could give you a hint if you want..." Levy captured one of Gajeel's hands and squeezed it tightly. She glanced around to determine if the were alone and gave him mischievous look, "I'll even give you a choice of a verbal clue or physical clue."

"Oh, this is getting interesting. Gi hehe! Which would you like to give me?"

Blushing and looking furtively around again, Levy whispered, "Physical clue."

He grinned, "Okay, gimme the physical clue."

Levy imagined she could feel her blood race in her veins. Resolutely she took hold of Gajeel's other hand and settled them over her buttocks. Her date stiffened at first, then a considering look crossed his face and he groped a good feel of her backside.

"If you wanted to make out some more, we coulda kept going in my bedroom." Levy stifled a shriek as he smirked and sneaked his hands under her skirt to pinch her bare ass. "Will this be a constant thing for us? Am I going to need an empty pillowcase, Shrimp?"

"That's enough!" Levy was flustered and even only seconds after having his hands on her rump was reliving it in glorious technicolour in her mind. The way his hands had felt through the silky material of her skirt to the way his calloused fingers on her bare skin had made her quiver.

"There won't ever be a time when I've had enough of you." Gajeel bent down to lock lips with his petite woman. "Good night Levy - see you at the Club meeting."

Levy waved good bye to Gajeel as she opened the dormitory door. She whirled, flaring her skirt and allowing the door to slowly close on its own. Giggling, she ran up to her apartment and hurried inside. Going through her usual end of night/get ready for bed ritual, she couldn't help but anticipate seeing more of Gajeel.

Gajeel walked home with a long stride, a dirty grin on his face. She gave me her panties. Gi hehe! The iron dragon slayer started whistling, his mood elevated and carefree. He entered his house to find Lily sitting on the couch waiting.

"So, what do you have to report? What happened to put you in such a good mood?"

"She's the one, the only one..." Gajeel tried not to look like a lovesick fool, and was partially successful. "

"Oh, I knew she was the one a long time ago. What I meant, was when are you seeing her again?"

Ruefully Gajeel chuckled, "She's got chores tomorrow - so I'll see her at the Dessert Club meeting." Brightening, he added, "We have that mission to Tilden Swamp the day after. I don't know when I've been more excited to fulfil a request."

Lily snorted, "You need to get laid."

"I'm working on it - oddly enough, I don't wanna rush. Enough of this girl talk bullshit, I'm grabbin' a shower and hittin' the sack." Gajeel strode to the washroom without further eye contact between himself and his exceed. Soon, the sounds of water running and spraying could be heard. Slightly off-key singing reached Lily where he sat, still grinning at how much his friend was under the spell of the solid script mage.

Softly Lily murmured, "I know why you're really in such a good mood - I found the panties in your robe. Gi hehe!"


	18. Nice Social Gathering

Erza smiled soothingly at Gajeel, "How did your scouting mission go?"

He groaned lightly and absently rubbed his stomach. "It went fine - next month we should meet at the new place called Sugar Sweets." Gajeel offered a marginal smile towards the ex-quip mage, "They make decorated cookies to order, Juvia says they're better than the other place she was using."

"Are you not following my special work instructions?" Her voice was calm, but her eyes were turbulent. Her hands flexed on the edge of the table she was gripping.

"Geeze! I ran into her while I was scoping out the joint!" The dragon slayer scowled, "I don't have any control on who is already there!"

"True - I'll overlook it this time." Erza shifted in her seat, "Did you get a menu? I'll need to study it."

Silently, Gajeel pulled out the requested item from his pocket and passed it over to Erza. She swept it up and began poring over it in a manner reminiscent of Levy studying one of her reference books. Gajeel fought smiling as he thought of his petite mate. Instead he resolutely clamped his lips in a straight line and turned his head to stare out the large picture window.

Juvia was the next member to arrive. She smiled warmly at Erza and Gajeel, sitting down next to the iron dragon slayer. "Gajeel-kun, did you order the cookies Juvia recommended?" She giggled at the sudden blush on his cheeks. "Oh! You did! They are wonderful, aren't they?"

"No need to go into that," Gajeel growled. "And I won't ask you about your pillow stuffing."

Erza stared as Juvia coloured, shutting her mouth with a snap. The iron dragon slayer looked a little remorseful, but pursed his lips and continued to stare out the window.

Regaining her poise, Juvia turned to Erza and ignored Gajeel. "Juvia found a delightful shop that decorates cookies to order."

"Yes, Gajeel already told me, it's the new bakery we will all be going to next month. It has an impressive list of desserts." Erza continued to scan the menu as the group waited for the rest of the club to show up.

The bell over the door rang gaily as the front door to the ice cream parlour opened. Gray who lived in the neighbourhood greeted the server behind the counter by name and flushed as he received an admonishment to retain his clothes. He slipped into a chair opposite Juvia.

She greeted her crush brightly, "Hello Gray-sama! Juvia has missed you all day!"

He mumbled, "Yah... Hi everybody." Gray leaned back and tugged at the collar of his shirt. Erza swivelled in her seat and glared until he pulled his fingers away from his buttons. Juvia put her elbows on the table and pouted at the interruption of the free floor show.

Levy hurried into the ice cream parlour, and claimed the seat next to Gray, across from Gajeel. "Hi! I'm not late am I? I lost track of time cleaning." She gave a warm smile to each of her friends.

Erza cleared her throat and pulled out her official club log book to begin taking attendance, a serene look upon her face. "Fullbuster... Lockser... McGarden... Redfox... Scarlet..." At each name she paused to allow the attendee to call 'present' and ticked off their name. With hers she checked marked her name and flipped the page over.

"First order of business is to inform you we will be checking out the new business 'Sugar Sweets' sometime in the next month as schedules permit. Second order of business is we need to order a range of ice cream and ice cream dessert creations, right now!" In her enthusiasm, Erza pounded the table quite hard and rattled the napkin dispenser that had been sitting in the middle.

The swordswoman stood up and hurried to the counter. "I shall have the raspberry cheesecake ice cream in a bowl, the black forest cake ice cream and strawberry shortcake a la mode." She pressed up against the glass case holding the frozen treats, "I want two scoops of each...please." Erza watched intently as the server scooped out the ice cream and assembled her order, her hands flat against the sneeze guard, unconsciously tapping her fingers.

Gajeel stood next in line, a safe distance between him and the obsessed Erza. No one in the dessert club other than Gajeel was actually willing to stand in front of her or next to her when she ordered. There had been three separate incidences of hair pulling, and having the iron dragon slayer second to order had mostly curbed her impatience.

Even after the red haired beauty had received her food and sat down with it, the group waited until she picked up a spoon and began eating before they made their own choices. Happily, the group placed their orders without any disturbances. Sitting down at the table they dug into their sweets.

Levy looked up from her dish and blushed to see Gajeel staring intently at her as much as Erza had ogled the ice cream choices. He grinned and made a show of licking his spoon clean. Levy was titillated; she glanced around the table and determined everyone was engrossed in their food. She dipped her finger in her sundae and sucked it clean, smiling coyly as the dark haired male almost swallowed his tongue.

The silence was broken by the cheery tinkling of the front door. "Hey guys! Got room for two?" Natsu escorted Lucy inside, his hand riding low on her back. He turned to his girlfriend and gently steered her to the table. "You sit down and I'll surprise you with something, okay?"

The blonde girl smiled and nodded, sitting down beside Gray who remained hunched over his ice cream, shovelling it rapidly into his mouth. "Levy mentioned this was a nice social gathering."

The ice mage dropped his spoon with a thud and angled his head towards Erza and then back to Lucy. He whispered, "Did they change the definition of nice? I'm held here against my will, tormented by a stalker and a demented sugar enthusiast. My other crazy companions - "

Gajeel interrupted Gray's rant with a loud snort. "I suggest you don't finish that thought. I ain't gonna let you slag my girlfriend."


	19. Submit

"Yes Gray," Levy said sweetly, "Do tell me more about being crazy. Did you somehow forget I'm on your other side?"

Lucy shook her head and gave Gray a faux look of sympathy. "It's kinda crazy how you forgot me and her are best friends."

Juvia stood up, very upset with Gray's treatment. "Juvia knows Gray-sama did not mean crazy like that! But what good news! Levy and Gajeel-kun!"

Gray ignored Juvia's attempt to distract their nakama. "You don't have to make excuses for me Juvia. Maybe I didn't really mean crazy, but you gotta admit Gajeel is a bit weird." Gray kicked one of the table supports and discovered he'd lost his shoes. With a bitter grimace he dropped under the table to look for his footwear.

The water mage dropped to her knees, "Juvia will help her love find whatever he lost!" She leaned forward sweeping with her hands; smiling at Gray, not realising that in such a position, he would be able to see freely down her dress. He gave her the slightest nod in acknowledgement and stopped searching as his eyes were drawn to Juvia's charms jiggling as she vigorously searched for his presumed missing clothing. The blue haired girl found the shoes and shyly handed them to the ice mage.

"Thanks." Gray said gruffly, "You didn't have to dive under the table to help - but thanks."

A soft smile graced Juvia's face and she blushed. "Juvia is always happy to help Gray-sama." Both Juvia and Grey backed up and regained their seats at the table.

Lucy smirked at Levy and the bookworm grinned back. Levy sat in her chair with her spine straight. "This is a new development, but yes...I can consider myself his girlfriend."

Erza set down her spoon quietly. Dabbed her mouth clean with a napkin and made eye contact with each person around the table. As she was about to open her mouth, Natsu brought two hot fudge sundaes to the table. Reading the situation correctly, he placed one in front of Lucy and relinquished the other to the red head. He went back to the counter to re-order. The group let out a collective sigh in relief.

"Gray, if you don't like being in the club, why don't you quit?" Lucy fairly simpered as she asked her question and then did laugh out loud as his face went through a maelstrom of worried expressions. "Surely it can't be a matter of life and death!"

"Shut up! I'm not at liberty to discuss this at all!" Gray hissed at Lucy, earning a laser hot glare from Natsu as he came back to the table with his ice cream.

"Ice stripper! You'd best not talk to my woman like that." Natsu growled low in his throat.

Lucy casually pinched Natsu's thigh, making him yelp and sit down. "I did provoke him, and I can Lucy-kick him for myself if needed." She glared at Grey, "Juvia wouldn't stalk you if you could decide what you wanted."

"Oh thank you, not-love rival! Juvia appreciates your words, but Juvia wants Gray-sama to decide on his own." She pushed her half-finished treat to the side and rose out of her chair. "Juvia apologizes for leaving early, but...Juvia must leave." She plastered a false smile on her face and left, not making eye contact with any of her nakama.

The tinkling of the cheery bell stirred Gray into action. He dropped his napkin and chased after the rain woman, shedding his jacket before even exiting the ice cream parlour.

"Huh, who knew ice prick cared?" Natsu elbowed Gajeel across the newly evacuated chair.

The iron dragon gave Natsu a disgusted look. "You do know you and Bunny girl will have to stay for the discussion?"

Erza re-opened her log book and grimly smiled at the remaining mages. "As Gajeel as so astutely pointed out, the panel discussion requires at least four members. At this juncture in time, I accept both Natsu and Lucy as provisional members. They will be granted full membership status after the probationary period. For now, we shall discuss the differences between traditional ice cream, gelato and frozen yogurt." The deadly swordswoman picked up her pen in preparation to take notes. She narrowed her eyes and spoke to Natsu. "You may begin."

 

Levy giggled and slumped over on Gajeel, allowing him to support her weight as they walked to Fairy Hills after the ill-fated Dessert Club Meeting. "I thought Erza was going to slice Natsu into a thousand pieces!"

"Gi hehe! Stupid Salamander! He should have just asked her opinion and Erza would have answered all her own questions." Gajeel snickered as Levy gave him a shocked look. "It's a good tactic - all is fair in the battle to discover the best strawberry cake in all of Fiore."

Arriving at the back entrance of Fairy Hills, Gajeel settled his hands on Levy's waist. She stood smiling up at him. He grinned back and suddenly hoisted her up and kept her anchored by way of groping her ass. "What do you think you are doing? Put me down!"

"Not just yet, I'm giving you something to dream about." He leered and squeezed her buttocks; flustered that someone might walk out of the apartment building, Levy struggled to break out of his powerful arms. The way the petite woman pushed against his grip disturbed Gajeel and he let her slide down to the ground. Gajeel went from feeling confident to having his stomach sour and knot itself. He took a rapid step back from the quiet girl and would have turned and sprinted away if she hadn't reached out to him at that instant.

"Hey, it's still light out and the girls of Fairy Hills are in and out of the building. Not to mention Erza will be coming home soon - you want her up in our business?" Levy shook her head ruefully. "It just might be best if you sneak up to my room." Spinning on her heel, she turned her head back and winked. "I think I left a window open." Happily humming, the young woman made her way to her apartment.

She released the lock on her door and secured it behind her. Levy frowned at her empty apartment. Feeling thirsty, she went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water and sipped it with a sigh. She drifted into the living room and flopped onto the couch. I really thought Gajeel would want to sneak into my room. 

Lost in her thoughts, Levy sighed again and decided to do her moping in comfort on her bed. As she passed the hall closet, she removed Gajeel's coat from the hanger and clasped it tightly in her arms. She crossed the threshold of her room and stopped.

Gajeel stood with his legs braced apart, hands in pockets and slightly hunched over, right in front of a set of three prints hung on the far wall. Levy fumbled with the coat, drawing the dark haired man's attention.

"Gi hehe. Nice souvenir you got there." The dragon slayer strode over to the next grouping of prints and studied them. Slightly piqued that Gajeel was more interested in surveying her chosen artwork, Levy draped the coat over the back of her reading chair and unabashedly checked out his ass. She stepped closer, a lascivious smile prominent. Levy followed the tall mage around her room as he examined the many prints and original works of art grouped on the walls.

"You seem really enraptured by my prints." Levy pointed to a framed sketch drawn by Reedus. "This was done shortly after you joined Fairy Tail. It's one of my favourites."

"Huh." His voice was low and rough. "I did a terrible thing..." Gajeel frowned, "I hate that I keep going over this, but..."

Levy's small hand patted Gajeel on the back and then she wound her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his back. "You're torturing yourself, you know that? Listen to your girlfriend - ease up on the pity party. Don't make me kick your ass."

"Oh yah? You are gonna kick my ass?" He snickered, amused at the mental image he drummed up of his petite girl in shit-kicking boots, forcing him to submit. "Let me put that on my schedule - but after our mission. I can't afford to lose my tough guy reputation."

"Okay," Levy giggled, "I'll be ready anytime, anywhere." She hugged him fiercely.

"I think that's my line, Shrimp." Gajeel sighed with pleasure as Levy allowed her hands to roam, gliding over his abdominal muscles. "Didn't I want to give you something to dream about?"

"Turn around and submit."


	20. Something to Dream About

Black Steel Gajeel shivered at the iron in Levy's voice. He did as she asked, turning slowly and then locking eyes with her. Neither mage spoke as Levy tugged on Gajeel's belt buckle, pulling him towards her soft inviting bed. With a swift fluid motion, he pulled his shirt off, over his head and dropped it behind him. Levy firmed her grip on the belt, watching his rippling muscles dance under his tan skin. She placed one hand flat on his stomach and he reacted with a sudden intake of breath.

He stood frozen. He adored her tiny hands venturing about his body, especially as she started caressing his posterior. Levy stroked and squeezed, adding coos of enjoyment. Enthralled with his physique, she didn't register that he wasn't getting any closer to the bed. Long minutes passed as they stood exchanging teasing caresses interspersed with searing kisses.

"Didn't I order you to submit?" Levy yanked on her boyfriend's belt, "I want to dominate you in bed." She flushed and corrected herself, "I mean I want to tell you what to do... Oh, hell! I want to fool around laying down!"

"Damn, woman." Gajeel smirked and tossed his saucy girl onto the middle of her bed. Her hair, already disordered became even more wild. Levy lay with her arms open wide and her ankles crossed. The dragon slayer could read the growing desire in her bright hazel eyes. "I don't know if that would be smart." He gave a snort as she pouted.

"C'mere." She patted the bed and fluttered her eyelashes. Smiling and winking outlandishly, Levy next shifted so she was laying on one hip and placed her bent knee in front of the other and allowed her skirt to show a scandalous amount of skin.

Gulping audibly, Gajeel imagined he could feel the air temperature raise itself several degrees. The beautiful woman on the bed beckoned to him again and he nodded absently at her, unable to verbalize his intentions. Toeing off his boots; the slayer dropped his hands to his belt buckle, his gaze never leaving Levy's eyes. The merest hint of a smile and nod from the blue-haired girl had him slowly unfastening it and approaching the bed anew. His expression was feral but it didn't scare Levy - it excited her, knowing Gajeel couldn't resist her charms.

"Kiss me," Levy demanded. Gajeel silently nodded and crawled onto the bed, laying so he was also on his side and pressing up against all of her. One large hand cupped the back of her head as his lips descended to firmly press against Levy's. Both mages moaned and deepened the kiss. Levy dug her fingers into her man's hair and lightly tugged. She could sense Gajeel's smile and feel the rumble transmitted from his chest - the sound of satisfaction at her treatment of his person.

"Never knew I had a kink for gettin' my hair pulled." Gajeel mumbled into Levy's neck. He licked a path from behind her ear to her collarbone. "Or maybe just every thing," he nipped at her shoulder, "you do," Gajeel now pressed a kiss in the same spot, "makes me want you more."

Now scratching her nails down his heavily muscled back, Levy squirmed and gasped as Gajeel grabbed one of her hands and kissed her palm. "Mmmm... Th-that feels good!"

He took control of her hand and pressed it over his chest. "You feel what you do to me?" The rapid thudding of his heart spiked even faster as Levy laughed throatily and pressed her hips forward.

"I think I have a vague idea Gajeel."

"Watch what you're doin' Shrimp!"

"Oh, but I am!" Levy kept wriggling forward as the slayer edged away. "Don't you like it when I touch you?"

"Duh! But we should take this slow, no need to rush...uh...d-don't...ah..." Gajeel was unable to voice his concerns as Levy effectively shut down his higher brain functions as she glided a hand over his straining zipper. More nonsense sounds tumbled out of his mouth as the petite woman inched the zipper-pull down.

Levy shivered as Gajeel fastened his lips to her neck and bit and licked in turn. Suddenly, he pulled away and sat up. "I hear someone at your door. It's Titania!"

"Nice try! I'm nowhere near satisfied! Why would she - ?"

Forceful knocking on the front door echoed throughout the whole apartment. Scrambling off the bed, Gajeel picked up his coat and bundled his boots into it. "You'd better answer that Shorty. I'll see you at the train station tomorrow - you'd better cover that hickey first though, gi hehe!" Gajeel leaned over and kissed Levy hard and fast. "See ya!"

The dragon slayer exited Levy's bedroom via the window, turning to give her a long slow wink as he dropped out of sight. The loud knocking continued and Levy anxiously searched her room for something to conceal the marks of passion on her neck. She darted to her closet and drew on a housecoat over her dress, tying it securely and holding the neck closed with one hand. She padded over to the front door and called out, "Who's there? Gimme a minute!"

"Levy! It's me, Erza! Let me in, I need your help."

From the instant Gajeel had been able to determine it was Erza at the door, Levy had been internally convinced Erza knew Gajeel was in her bedroom. The rule that no men were allowed on the upper floors was inviolate. She worried that the swordswoman had mayhem on her mind; when Erza asked for help, Levy let out a pent up breath and sighed in relief. She unlocked the door and gestured the red head inside. "What can I do for you?"

Erza made a bee line for the comfy couch and plopped herself down and patted the seat cushion beside her. "I - I have a letter I want to send to Jellal. Crime Sorciere's lair is near Tilden Swamp." The swordswoman knitted her fingers together and sat them primly in her lap. "I would appreciate if you could help polish my note and deliver it." Uneasy that the other girl would spy her hickey, Levy tightened her grip on the neckline of the dressing gown.

"Um, I can try to deliver it, but isn't the contents of the note rather personal between the both of you?"

"Levy; we are nakama, we share an unshakable, unbreakable bond. We have known each other for many years, and I trust you as I know you trust myself." Erza withdrew her note from the depths of her bra. "Besides, learning you and Gajeel are newly engaged in a relationship parallels my own situation."

"Oh, but still...isn't Lucy a better choice for writing a note? She's practically an author!"

"I had considered that, but she is no doubt busy bandaging Natsu tonight. Perhaps wearing a nurse costume, soothing his hurts with pleasure..." Erza flushed, "Pardon my wandering thoughts. Would you like to punch me for my impertinence?"

"Ah, no thank you. If you insist I guess I could read it over." Levy gave a weak smile as Erza beamed back at her, handing her the letter after smoothing it flat. The blunette took a deep breath and started reading. Confused, Levy lowered the page and looked at Erza who was smiling happily. Levy looked back at the paper and again at Erza. "You have nothing but 'Dearest Jellal' and 'Eternal Love, your Erza' written on this." Raising her eyes up from the mostly blank paper, Levy saw Erza's smile dim. Quickly Levy kept talking, "Although I do feel the opening salutation and signature are the most important parts of writing a love letter."

Erza regained the brilliance of her smile, "I want Jellal to know how much I miss him and want to see him."

"That's a very good start!" Levy reached over to the table beside the couch and grabbed up a large book and a pen and scribbled those words. "Keep going, what else do you want to say?"

With a thoughtful look on her face, Erza chewed her bottom lip and tapped her cheek, "I guess I'd tell him about the new outfit I bought when I was out shopping and thinking of him. It's black and stretchy and tiny with the cutest matching cat ears and tail."

"Ah, so... How's about I write something like 'I bought a sexy outfit to wear for you when next we meet' - sound good?"

Levy was haunted by images and beyond mortified when Erza shook her head and explained, "It's for him to wear." The red headed beauty continued, "I want him to know there isn't a day goes by that I'm not working towards our future. I desire to be with him at his earliest convenience. His Candy-pot misses her little Puddin' every night."

"That's wonderful! I think this is a very good love letter, and you've basically written it yourself, Erza." Keeping the look of horror off her face, Levy quickly lettered the rest of the message and jumped off the couch. "I'll find a new piece of paper and let you re-write it in your handwriting." A few scant moments later Levy returned with the new blank sheet and watched Erza copy out her love letter.

"I appreciate your assistance in this matter, Levy. If there's anything I can do for you and Gajeel, you have only to say the word, and I shall lend you my sword."

"Ah, thank you so much, I will definitely keep that in mind."

Erza folded the paper and slipped it into an envelope drawn from her bra, sealed it and handed it over to Levy. The re-quip mage rose to her feet and gave a stately nod to the shorter girl. Levy ran to the door, opening it for Erza. "Um, how will I find Jellal?"

"Much like how Gajeel knew I was at the door, with his dragon slayer heightened senses. He will be able to hear and scent people at a distance. Jellal will undoubtedly stray in front of your man's path at some point. Deliver the letter and all will be forgiven." Erza leaned in and gave the younger girl a hug. "Just so you know, your bed squeaks and you have hickeys on both sides of your neck."

Levy slumped to the floor after closing the door. She covered her flaming face with both hands and cringed, then began giggling. Well, all's well that ends well. Candy-pot and little Puddin'... Slowly, she stood up and padded her way to bed and well deserved sleep.


	21. Lord of the Manor

Although Levy had feared she would be haunted by nightmares of Jellal modelling skimpy clothes, her rest was undisturbed. Rushing to the bathroom to begin the day, she examined her neck and was happy to see the love marks diminished in severity. Humming, the petite girl performed her morning ablutions. Being an organized person, Levy was able to pack swiftly and efficiently. She had a satchel full of research resources and a suitcase full of clothes ready in under twenty minutes. After breaking her fast, she made her way to the train station.

Both Gajeel and Lily were already there; lounging on a bench, each with a small duffle bag of necessities.

"Good morning!" Lily waved and smiled at Levy, "Sit down and wait with us, we've already taken the liberty of buying your train ticket."

Levy sat her luggage at her feet and sat between Lily and Gajeel. "Good morning guys! Isn't it beautiful out?"

Gajeel answered with a grunt. Lily peered around Levy and gave his partner a half-hearted glare. "He's not a morning person. Don't mind him, I'm much better company anyhow."

Shifting in his seat, Gajeel made a sour face and addressed his team. "I get motion sickness in case you have forgotten and I ain't lookin' forward to impressing my woman with how much I can vomit."

"Have you ever tried ginger tea? It helps soothe stomach upsets. It might be just the thing to cure your motion sickness." Levy said this brightly to the dour dragon slayer. She sat back and pulled the yellow skirt of her dress down over her knees as the breeze played up. "Tilden isn't that far away, we'll stop by the inheritor's family residence and retrieve the journal before you know it."

"Ungh... Even just waiting for a train makes me feel ill." Gajeel scowled and rubbed his stomach. "Lily, can you fly over to the nearest cafe and get me what Shrimp was talkin' about?"

"Sure thing buddy, I'll be back faster than you can lose your temper!" Lily launched himself into the air and laughed at his partner's response of a shaking fist.

Levy let out the cutest 'eep' as Gajeel suddenly slid over and slid his arm around her shoulders. "Did I tell how much I'm looking forward to spending time with you?" He squeezed gently and managed to smile. "I really wish the train ride was over already."

"You'll be fine, you're a big bad dragon slayer after all." Levy giggled, "Here comes Lily with a soothing cup of ginger tea. Drink it all and I'm sure you'll be amazed."

Gajeel began sipping the hot liquid and the trio waited for the train to arrive. Levy flipped through the pages of tourist publication detailing the marvels of sight-seeing the Tilden area. Both Lily and Gajeel read over her shoulders. Gently smiling, Levy opened the magazine wider and dropped it lower.

"You want I should read aloud?"

"Naw," Gajeel huffed, "I can read it just fine on your lap."

"Sure!" Lily contradicted, "Better now, rather than later when Gajeel is painting rainbows." He shrugged as his team glared at him, "What? We've got another twenty minutes or so to kill and once," he jabbed a finger at Gajeel, "Mr. Tough Guy gets on board, there will be no escape from his suffering." Lily crossed his arms and scowled. "I calls 'em like I see 'em."

"Ungh," Gajeel grumbled. "Lily's right, I will be miserable - Go ahead and read aloud while I can still enjoy it, Shorty." He drained the rest of the cup, crumpling the container into the garbage and slumping against the diminutive girl. Levy began reading and the dragon slayer sat, at ease, listening. Lily curled up beside her and enjoyed the soft cadences of the bluenette's voice.

The train ride to Tilden was less taxing for the team than Levy had expected. She suspected the ginger tea had done the trick, or the passage in the dragon lore book had been correct - the scent of the dragon's mate eased the motion sickness. Gajeel had whined and complained, but the violent spewing of vomit hadn't happened. The two hour trip had passed rather quietly with Levy stroking her dragon's head and hair on her lap. Gajeel grinned shakily as he carried their luggage out of the Tilden station.

"We need to head north to find the family mansion, it's on the outskirts of town. They have an interesting name - Tildenson. They must have been involved in the founding of the town." Levy quickly rummaged in her satchel. "I just need to look at my map once more, and we can head off to fetch the journal. I wonder what kind of code was used! Perhaps a simple substitution code, or polyalphabetic with multiple cipher alphabets!" Her voice rang with eagerness as she pulled out the map and showed her two team mates the area they were to traverse. "Of course, it may well be easy to decode if they didn't take into consideration the frequency of how often certain letters are used."

Levy broke off her explanations as she became aware of the glazed eyes and dumbfounded looks from the exceed and dragon slayer. She giggled, "Sorry, I find codes really interesting and I forget not everybody does!"

Gruffly, Gajeel spoke. "Don't worry about it, I ain't so stupid I can't follow what you're talkin' about. I've just never come up against that sort of stuff before."

"Well, I'm very impressed with your knowledge Levy!" Lily smirked widely, "I can admit, even if Gajeel can't - I haven't a clue what to do with ciphers. We'll be leaving the brain portion of this mission to you!"

Pleased with the praise, yet modest, Levy blushed. "We're a team, so we all bring strengths to the party. I know we can work together and solve the mystery!"

The walk through Tilden was pleasant. Having arrived shortly after eleven am, the sun wasn't as punishing as it could have been. The town itself was bustling with tourists and locals alike, all intent on their own pursuits. An hour brought the team to a large and imposing mansion with a solidly built stone fence.

"Oh! It's so pretty!" Levy gushed, "It must be three stories tall and it has a turret! I've always wanted a turret to house all my books!"

"Uh huh," Gajeel strode ahead and opened the wooden gate, striding confidently towards the front double doors. "C'mon you two, it's noon - let's get the journal and find a place to have lunch and a base of operations."

Levy followed and Lily brought up the rear, closing the gate behind them. The dark haired dragon slayer rapped his knuckles on the door at the same time Levy spoke out, "There's a door chime - they might hear that better."

"I think they'll hear me, gi hehe!" He knocked again, even louder.

Long minutes passed and they eventually heard soft and slow footsteps gliding to the door. A maid opened the door and smiled. "Hello? How may I help you?"

"Hello! We're from the wizard's guild, Fairy Tail and we have business with a Mr. Hibiki Tildenson." Levy answered with her own happy smile. "We're here to solve the journal puzzle."

"Please come in," she pulled the door open wider and waited for the team to enter. She shut the door and the trio of mages followed her as she swept through a maze of rooms to arrive at a sitting room equipped with several chairs and a couch. "Please wait here and I'll fetch the family."

"Oh wow, what a nice house!" Levy walked the perimeter of the room, examining the fine furnishings and the many oil paintings hanging on the walls. "These all look to be originals, and same with the chairs. Not a reproduction among them!"

Lily and Gajeel turned to each other in confusion. Clearing his throat, Gajeel spoke. "A chair is a chair, reproduced from what?"

The bluenette giggled, "Copied by a secondary company, with or without permission and mass produced on the cheap usually."

Lily jumped onto the couch and rubbed his stomach. "I'm getting hungry. Didn't we pass a market with kiwis?"

"We'll get the journal and be on our way soon enough." Gajeel dropped onto the other end of the couch. "Can't wait to get out of this fancy house and - ."

"I hope the lovely young lady isn't in as big a hurry to leave my humble abode." A mellifluous voice interrupted Gajeel. "I would be most pleased to have you join my luncheon. I confess I've never witnessed such beauty before." A man strode into the sitting room, bowed in front of Levy, grasped her hands in his and gave a brief kiss to her knuckles. "Forgive my impetuousness, but I would not want to regret not saluting your charm."

"Excuse me, Lord of the Manor, but that's my woman you're molesting with yer lips. I advise you to step away before I assist you with moving." Gajeel growled and his eyes snapped with fury.


	22. Meet the Tildensons

Levy stood nonplused as Gajeel leapt to his feet. Seeing that broke the spell of stasis and she pulled her hand back and coldly smiled at the stranger. "I have to agree with my boyfriend on this. Please don't crowd me."

"Forgive me, I tend to get too excited by lovely ladies. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Ambrose Tildenson." He turned and pointed to another man entering the room. "That's my brother Hibiki." Both brothers were tall, Ambrose having dark hair and Hibiki with sandy brown.

Hibiki cleared his throat and extended his hand to Gajeel, "Pleased to meet you!" His smile faltered a little as Gajeel shook his hand and continued to glare at Ambrose. "I hope the journal can be decoded swiftly," he turned and timidly held out his hand to Levy. "Our late father hid his last will and testament with our family treasure."

She gave a firm handshake and pleasantly smiled at Hibiki. "We will do our best."

Ambrose reached out to pat Lily on the head. Gajeel curled his lip, "That's Pantherlily, he's an exceed, not a cat - so treat him accordingly."

Hibiki turned from Levy and almost shoved his brother out of the way to drop in front of Lily. "Oh! I've wanted to meet an exceed for ages! Can you show me your wings? How long can you fly? How much can you carry? What - "

Ambrose clamped a hand over Hibiki's mouth. "You don't have to answer his questions all at once, or ever, actually."

Yanking his brother's hand away, Hibiki scowled up at his sibling. "Maybe I was a little excited, but at least I didn't make a move on," he jerked a thumb towards Gajeel, "his girlfriend after two seconds of seeing her."

"At least I know how to relate to people." The brothers glared at one another, Hibiki straightening to his full height.

The three mages exchanged looks of concern. Lily stood up and conjured his wings. He floated up and then flew around the room. Both brothers fell silent as they watched the exceed perform a loop and then land back on the couch.

"Cool! So cool!" Hibiki stepped back and perched on the chair behind him. "I've always wanted to be able to fly. I once jumped out of a barn hay loft when I was five or six. Luckily, there was a nice haystack to land in."

Ambrose paced the circumference of the room, "You could save those stories for after lunch, when people are full and they need something to ease them into a nap." The two brothers glowered at each other. After a discrete knock at the door, a maid entered the room and called Ambrose away. He swept out of the room, taking all the tension with him.

Levy sat down between Lily and Gajeel. "Your brother is younger or older?" She hurriedly added, "Not that it matters, just curious. Do you have any other siblings?"

Chuckling softly, the sandy haired man sat back into the chair. "He's younger and we don't have any other siblings. Never mind about me, I'm boring. Real mages with an exceed! Tell me about yourselves!" He gripped the chair's armrests and leaned forward, "I can't even sit still!"

Gajeel reached out with his right hand and placed it on Levy's knee. He grinned, "This woman is the finest solid script mage in the area. She's mine." Levy blushed and glared simultaneously, placing her hand over his. The slayer coughed and amended, "Shrimp is my girlfriend, and very smart."

Lily smirked, "Gajeel is a dragon slayer; as you've witnessed, he's mostly brawn to match Levy's brains." Secure in the knowledge Gajeel wouldn't lunge across Levy to swat at him, Lily continued. "He's a sweet guy once you get to know him. I answer to Lily."

Hibiki nodded, "I'm sure, if you say so. This means Levy will be decoding the family journal? Our father loved puzzles and challenges of that nature, but neither me nor my brother have any talent in that regard. I'll be happy to continue to manage the estate and oversee the farming operations." He laced his fingers together and sighed, "Ambrose wants to liquidate everything and move to Crocus."

"Brother, it would benefit us both." Ambrose slipped back into the room and frowned at his sibling. "Lunch is ready, please follow." He exited the room and the rest of the occupants followed. The dining room was large and boasted several floor to ceiling windows framed with flowing curtains. The windows were all half open and allowed a fresh breeze to circulate.

The table was immense, set with six place settings arranged on one end. Ambrose gestured to the table, "Please sit where you want," he looked over at Lily and inclined his head. "I apologize if I offended you."

The exceed flew over to Ambrose and looked him in the eye and gravely nodded back at him. "Don't worry about it, exceeds are something of a rarity." Lily spotted a heaping bowl of kiwis on the table and claimed the chair closest. Levy was barely paying attention to the conversation as she was still taking in the splendour of the room. Gajeel grunted and tugged his petite mate over to the table.

Ambrose sat opposite Levy, leaving an empty space between him and his older brother. "While we don't have any siblings, we do have a step-mother who will be joining us momentarily."

As if conjured, a mature but still beautiful woman swept into the dining room. She had dark green hair and matching eyes that shined. "How many times must I remind you to call me by my name? I was married to your father for five years but I'm not that much older than you." She roamed her gaze over the mages, almost instantly dismissing Levy and Lily and settling her attention on Gajeel. She fluttered her eyes and bared her teeth in somewhat of a smile. "I'm Hitomi, I hope my step-children have been behaving themselves. I would have greeted you sooner, but I was occupied with household duties."

She turned, cocking an eyebrow at Hibiki, who hurried to his feet and assisted her into her chair. As if that were a signal, two maids came into the room carrying heavy platters of food. A third servant; this one a heavy set middle aged man, entered with an obviously expensive crystal decanter of red wine. He poured some for everyone, starting with Hitomi and working around the table. The maids placed their burdens down and stepped back, waited for the mistress' nod and exited. The manservant stood vigilant, waiting to top up the glasses with more wine.

Graciously smiling, this time at Levy as well, Hitomi urged the group to help themselves. "You sir, have the look of a battle hardened warrior." She directed her intense green eyes at Gajeel. "I vow you've seen hard duty; much like myself with my chore to oversee my children by marriage. A marriage that was all too brief - but intense."

Gajeel kept a bland look on his face. He was all too aware of this woman's transparent attempt at seduction. He grimaced, allowing his fangs prominence. "Levy is in charge of this mission. She'll be decoding the journal and deciding all our major moves. I'm just the backup brawn."

Giggling nervously, Levy lightly tapped the slayer on the shoulder. "Don't be so modest! You've proven yourself as more than just muscles!" She accepted the platter making the rounds of the table and served herself from it and passed it to Gajeel. "All of this looks and smells delicious! I am anxious to start work on the journal though - I adore challenges like that."

"My late husband was something of a genius with puzzles. He tried to include me in his hobby, but alas, my talents lay in other directions." She pursed her lips and raised her glass and slowly sipped her wine. Hitomi boldly stared at Gajeel and toyed with her meal.

Embarrassed, Hibiki burst into the conversation, "Step-mother, the third mage is an exceed! Isn't that interesting?"

"Please, that makes me sound so old, use my name you silly boy." Hitomi tightened her grip on the crystal stem of her wine glass. She gave a graceful laugh, "You've always been so fascinated with magic. Someone tell me all about exceeds!"

Ambrose muttered, "I know you don't treat them like cats."

Gajeel snorted and went into a pretend coughing spree. "Excuse me, musta had something caught in my throat."

Lily put down the kiwi he was consuming. "All exceeds are originally from Extalia in Edolas - we do look like cats, but we have flying magic called aera. There isn't that much else to say."

Smiling brightly, Levy added to the discussion. "Lily is a seasoned warrior and Gajeel's sparring partner. Matter of fact, they are both really strong."

Hibiki smiled dreamily. "I'd love to see a dragon slayer fight."

Ambrose rolled his eyes and directed a question to Levy. "What is your specialty?"

"I use a light pen and create solid script magic." Levy patted her lips with her napkin and placed it over her finished plate. "This is our first outing as a team, actually."

"Really? So you haven't been dating your partner very long then, eh?" Ambrose perked up at this piece of information.

"Oh, I have a regular team - this is just for this quest."

Disgruntled, Gajeel growled low in his throat. He gulped the rest of his wine and turned to face his girlfriend. "We'll be taking other jobs together in the future. Jet and Droy can get along without you."

Perplexed, Levy frowned slightly. "We haven't discussed this at all, so let's table that talk for later."

The two maids descended upon the dining room again, whisking away the depleted platters and plates as the manservant poured more wine. Hibiki excused himself, promising to return with the journal. Five minutes later a single maid returned with a dessert tray and served everyone before quietly exiting.

Hitomi watched Gajeel, sneaking peaks as she pushed her dessert around on her plate. She smirked as she noticed Ambrose doing much the same by staring at Levy as he engaged all three mages in a discussion of travel. He grimaced as his older brother returned and placed their father's journal to the side of Levy's plate.

"Here you go!"

"Thank you, Hibiki. We will take very good care of your father's journal." Levy slipped it into her satchel and stowed it at her feet. "I'll need a day or so to make some progress - I don't foresee any major problems."

"Shrimp, we need to get a move on. We have a reservation at a hostel and I know you will want to check out this town's library." Gajeel stood up from the table and so did Lily.

"Sure!" Levy happily agreed. "I have lots of work to do now!" She popped out of her seat and slung her satchel across her back. "It was very nice to meet you, and I'm sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances."

Gajeel grunted noncommittally and started shepherding Levy with a hand low on her back. Lily waved good bye and followed his team mates.

"Wait!" Both brothers impetuously spoke. The mages turned around and Ambrose crossed his arms and inclined his head to his brother.

"Uh, we have a library you could use here! Our father had a saying, he 'never saw a book he didn't want to buy'. I'm sure there's something in the collection that would help." Hibiki blushed a little, "I'd like to help in some sort of way to solve the code in the journal."

Ambrose uncrossed his arms and drawled, "I insist you accept our hospitality for tonight at least. We have tonnes of rooms available - I'd be remiss in not assisting as well in some form."

Clapping her hands, Hitomi smiled. "What a wonderful idea! I will not take no for an answer! There's loads of space and we haven't had a chance to mingle with wizards before. My late husband was quite ill for the last year of his life and it will be a lovely change of pace to have guests."

"I don't know how to say no to that," Levy began to say, "but - "

"Then don't!" Hitomi smiled. "It makes me happy to have a full house again. We used to have the most marvellous parties. I'll have one of the maids show you to the collection room and set up some rooms for each of you! You'll have a guide momentarily." She rose out of her chair and swept out of the room.

Levy looked at Gajeel in disbelief. "What just happened?"


	23. Don't Think I Wouldn't!

"When Hitomi wants something, she usually gets it." Ambrose said drily. "She's a steamroller in a dress. She never used to be that way - she was very shy and sweet when she used to babysit us - Mother was very involved with her charities and work. Hitomi always had time to play hide and seek."

Hibiki slowly nodded, "I haven't thought about that in a long time - something like fifteen years? Then her family moved away and when they moved back, she was different."

Gajeel shrugged at Levy. "Looks like we'll be bunking in 'Crazy Town' tonight. On the upside, the journal code might very well use source material from their father's collection of books." He sourly looked at the Tildenson brothers in a seemingly rare moment of solidarity as they reminisced boyhood stories.

"Excellent thinking! This is quite the stroke of luck, my fingers are positively itching to crack open some reference material!" Levy beamed up at Gajeel, her delight rubbing off on the dragon slayer.

He smirked and ruffled her hair before turning to the siblings and addressing them with a stern visage. "Keep your step-mother away from me and we won't have any problems."

The brothers broke off their conversation and looked helplessly at each other, mouths agape. Ambrose recovered first, "I shall endeavour to do my best. Anything we can do, we will."

One of the maids entered the dining room and curtseyed to the mages. "I will bring you to the collection room. Please follow." She led them through a maze of rooms, filled with fussy furniture and excessively ornate decorations. Levy was dazed with the splendour of the furnishings, while Lily was oblivious and Gajeel was openly indifferent.

They were led up a flight of stairs and down a long hallway. The collection room was behind a massive double door heavily engraved with vines, close to the center of the building. For all the solid look of the doors, it opened easily when the maid lightly pushed them open. She flicked the light switch and turned on several of the floor lamps as the trio of mages took in the decor of the collection room.

It was stuffed with bookshelves, overflowing with tomes bound in leather next to scrolls tied with string and ribbon. Levy walked over to the work station in front of the marble clad fireplace and ran possessive fingers over the surface of the table. "This is beautiful!"

Gajeel grunted in response. Lily flew over to the fireplace and hovered in front of the carefully matted and mounted display of wildflowers. "Wasn't expecting a tasteful display of flora in the focal place of pride."

The petite bluenette clapped her hands in delight, "I was expecting a macabre collection of animal trophies! This is so much better!"

Nodding, the exceed flew around the circumference of the room and gazed at each of the distinctive floral decorations. The dragon slayer grinned at the maid as she stood waiting patiently for the other two of her charges to stop exploring.

Gajeel became irritated and snapped out, "Oi! Shrimp! Lily!" They stopped scoping out the room and turned around to pay attention.

"Thank you sir, someone will come back for you in a few hours to show you to your rooms. The family gathers for pre dinner drinks at six and while the meal isn't formal you may wish to dress a little less casually." The maid bowed and withdrew from the de facto library.

"Oh my goodness Gajeel! This is the most perfect collection room I've ever been in!" Levy set down her satchel on the table and waltzed over to her boyfriend. "I've never seen such a wide variety of novels outside of my own hoard!"

A sour look on his saturnine face, Gajeel cast another look around the room. "Is this maybe the only collection room you've ever been in?"

Lily flew up behind his friend and quickly clawed Gajeel's shoulder and hissed into the slayer's ear. "Don't piss her off, I haven't forgotten what you said about her team and I know she won't have either."

Gajeel covered up his yelp of surprise as best he could with a fake coughing spree. "Ah, Shrimp - books always have such dust!" He turned to glare at his exceed, his face promising a world of hurt at the next earliest convenience. "How about you show me the preliminary steps you're gonna use to solve the code in the journal?"

"Certainly!" Levy almost skipped over to the work table and withdrew the book in question from her satchel. Carefully, she opened it to the first page and started reading aloud. Despite himself, Gajeel was drawn in to the simple narrative of the journal and the lilt of his woman's voice as she read with speed and enthusiasm. Lily also sat spell bound as Levy spoke the words written down by the late Mr. Tildenson.

Several hours passed; after the first chapter of the journal, Levy read in silence and her partners sat at the other end of the work station playing with a well worn deck of cards. The tiny bluenette had employed her speed reading glasses and was flipping through the journal, mumbling as she jotted notes and created a potential matrix for solving the puzzle.

Every now and again, Gajeel would look over at his woman as she worked at decoding the journal. He sat with his cards in hand just staring at her intent face; captivated by her intense absorption in the mystery. Lily threw down his cards and glared at his partner. "I'm gonna find me some kiwis. I'll be back whenever."

Almost startled, Gajeel grunted and nodded before answering, "Sure, whatever you want. Bring back something to drink, huh?"

"Yah, you've got an hour to get into Levy's very good graces before I show back up." Lily tossed off a mock salute to the slayer and laughed as he exited the room.

The chuckling exceed distracted the solid script mage from her work and she blinked owlishly at Gajeel. "How long have I been ignoring you?"

He dropped his cards and shrugged. "Dunno. Long enough? Ah, I wanna discuss something I brought up at lunch." Pleased with his phrasing, Gajeel straightened from his slouch and placed both hands on the mirror smooth and polished top of the table. "I would like to elaborate on our current team status."

Levy closed the journal and removed the speed reading glasses. The smile on her face faded and she frowned before consciously smoothing her countenance. "Please, go on. I would love to hear you educate me on our current team status." She folded her hands together and placed them on the table, making and maintaining eye contact with Gajeel.

As formidable a warrior Gajeel was, Levy's words struck him hard. His stomach churned as he sought the proper phrasing that would lead him out of the doghouse. "Uh, you see, I really meant that there would be other missions we would want to do together. We would have requests, just you and me and Lily. I never meant you'd never go on missions with your lapdogs again - just possibly not as often."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Levy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "They are not lapdogs. They are my closest friends since before I knew you. I see them as brothers, they are family and will be respected as such."

Gajeel let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. "Maybe I need some reassurance. We're basically a new couple. I know what I feel won't change, I know you're the only one for me, I know there won't be another. I can't help but be a little jealous to see you give Jet and Droy any of your attention." The slayer mumbled the last of his speech.

She hooted and clutched her stomach as she laughed. "Really? Jealous? Do you know how long I've known them as compared to how long I've known you? I've already given you a pair of panties, let you run your hands all over my body and you are insecure about your place in my affections?"

He growled and lurched out of his chair, stalking over to her position. "When you put it that way, shall we share one room tonight?"

Bravely she met his challenging stare. "Don't think I wouldn't!"


	24. Levy Says

"You can keep me safe from that woman, she was creepin' me out." A most evil and self-satisfied expression settled itself over Gajeel's face. "I didn't like how the younger brother was checkin' you out either."

"I told him to back off, and that should be sufficient. Tonight; my room, my rules." Levy dropped the journal on the table and crossed her arms, staring intently at the slayer. "You ever play 'Simon Says'? It's going to be more like 'Levy Says' and there's no quitting and running away."

He chuckled and got up from the table, crossing over to stand behind Levy. He leaned over and breathed into her ear as he placed his arms around her without touching her. "I'll be waiting for your orders." One last puff of moist air was directed against her and Gajeel strode over to the botanical art overtop the fireplace. He paced around the room examining each framed and matted art piece.

Levy resumed working on the journal, but her concentration was broken and she caught her eyes wandering over to the tall man several times. Twenty minutes of nonsense note taking forced Levy to give up and she tossed her pen down. The small thud the writing utensil made brought Gajeel instantly over to her side.

"Do you wanna take a break?" He pulled his petite partner out of her seat and into his arms. Levy assisted his efforts by locking her legs around his waist, she sighed as he pressed aggressive kisses down her neck and the tops of her breasts. Gajeel kept his hands busy supporting her backside and Levy threaded her fingers into his thick mane, tugging his face up to receive her kiss.

Her eyes fluttered shut of their own accord, her heart pounded and she couldn't press herself close enough to her partner's hard body. Levy anchored her fingers more firmly into his tresses and poured her passion into their lip lock. Becoming breathless, she pulled away and released her hold on his hair. Slowly she opened her eyes; Gajeel was smiling softly, his own eyes glazed with devotion.

"We should take breaks more often, Shrimp!" Gajeel gave her buttock a swift pinch and let her slide down his body. "I hear someone at the door, better pull up your neckline a bit...gi hehe!"

Levy looked down to see an especially large love bite on her left breast. Her brows beetled and she tugged her shirt up to cover it better as she glowered at the slayer. "You will pay for that later."

He shrugged, "It was well worth it, punish me as hard as you like." Gajeel winked and tugged on an escaped lock of hair from his bluenette. "Just so you know, I have the stamina to play 'Levy says' all night long."

Her hazel eyes rounded and she blushed a fiery red, racing to the far corner of the room as company knocked on the door of the collection room. The maid who entered was short and plump; introducing herself as Mary. She carried a carafe of water on a tray with glasses, "Your friend Lily requested a beverage be sent, hope you weren't waiting too long." Placing the tray on the work station, she smiled and asked if they wanted her to pour.

Gajeel shook his head no, "That's something you don't need to do for us, we'll be fine. Thanks anyway."

"Very good sir, Mabel and Melissa will be here shortly to take you to your rooms. I've already had the pleasure of escorting Mr. Lily to his chamber. He's very interesting."

Mary turned to leave but was restrained by Levy's hesitant hand on her sleeve. "Excuse me, but we'll only need one of those rooms."

"Oh Miss Levy, we received strict instructions as to which rooms to ready and who goes where. The mistress can be quite single-minded." Mary shrugged and added, "Mind you, there's nobody to stop you from sharing after, and I believe I've already forgotten you telling me you intended to share."

"Oh!" Levy gave Mary a look of gratitude. "Thanks!"

The maid blushed, "The mistress was always pretty bold with her conquests, your young man will be safer with you." Mary giggled lightly; whispering into Levy's ear, "Can't say I blame her though, he's a hot piece of 'eye candy' like what my niece moons about."

Gajeel smirked as Mary gave him a little half wave as she exited the collection room. He waited until the door was shut and the maid was well and truly on her way before swaggering over to his girlfriend. "Gi hehe! Do you think I'm 'eye candy' too?"

"Yes, yes! But I'm worried about Mrs. Tildenson trying to do something to you. I thought she was just trying to recapture her youth by flirting with you." Levy poured herself a drink of water and gulped it down. "Mary made it sound like Hitomi will force herself on you."

"Hey, I've got you to protect me - I won't be worrying." Gajeel rubbed Levy's back and continued to reassure his girlfriend. "We don't have to stay the night, we can blow out of here anytime."

"As much as that sounds good, I'm making progress with the journal and I feel like there's some giant clue in this room - just almost looking at us. As much as I'd like to publicly demonstrate to Hitomi that you're mine, we need to use all the resources available to solve the puzzle."

Gajeel was taken aback with the vehemence Levy uttered her last statement. "Uh, angry much? You're startin' to sound like me. I didn't think her shenanigans at lunch bothered you. You were polite and calm and made nice with the conversation."

"That's because the enemy who doesn't know you're an enemy is easier to defeat." Levy batted her eyes at the slayer. "Being under estimated is quite the advantage. Let's hope she doesn't run her mouth too much at dinner and I won't have to get rough."

"Harsh!" Gajeel nodded, "I like that - that's kinda what I was feelin' when Ambrose was trying to put the moves on you."

A brisk knock pounded against the door and the promised two maids entered. "Your rooms have been readied and your luggage unpacked. If you'll follow us?"

The third level of the house was just as sumptuously decorated as the ground storey. Mabel and Melissa were not much older than the two mages they were leading and very friendly. They kept up a running commentary about the decor and when and where items had been purchased.

They showed Gajeel his room first, it was very large and filled with sturdy solid wooden furniture. It was to the right of the stairway as they finished ascending and entered the hallway that ran down the center of the house. Levy's room was to the left of the stairs and Lily had been given the room directly in front of the landing.

As the two maids escorted Levy into her guest room, Gajeel strode across the hallway and knocked on Lily's door. He entered and sat on the corner of the bed. Gajeel crossed his arms and smirked at his partner. "Better hope there's no thunderstorms tonight - you won't be welcome where I'm sleepin' tonight. Three's a crowd if you know what I mean, gi hehe!"

Pantherlily smiled and nodded. "And was this your idea or hers?" He casually walked over to the nightstand and plucked a kiwi out of the fruit bowl and skilfully started peeling it with a knife.

The slayer mage frowned, uncrossing his arms and tapping the fingers of one hand on a knee. "Why the hell would that matter? We're gonna be together because we want to, we both want to be together."

Tossing the peel in the garbage, Lily grinned. "Just a little test - you have a real dog in the manger attitude when it comes to competing with other males. Don't rush to claim Levy if you're doing it just to push away that pretty boy Ambrose."

"Whatever! Levy doesn't want that wimp." Gajeel pouted a little. "I wanna scout the swamp tomorrow and let Shrimp work uninterrupted in the collection room. We need to start pulling our weight with this mission. The family treasure can't be too far if the late Mr. Tildenson was sick and enfeebled when he hid it."

Reflecting on Gajeel's words, Lily slowly nodded and snapped his fingers. "If you had charm, you could flirt information out of Hitomi - where her late husband liked to hike in the swamp."

Gajeel curled his lip, "I got charm coming out my ass - but not for that woman." He levered himself off the bed and exited the room, sticking his head back inside to address his friend. "Consider Levy's door tonight as having the biggest 'do not disturb' sign on it you've ever seen." Gajeel smirked and closed the door.

Lily finished his kiwi and gave a salute to the shut door. He mumbled under his breath, "Consider me officially deaf and blind tonight - no force on Earthland will be able to compel me to visit the two of you together in a room if you're gonna practise making babies." He rubbed his stomach and continued to grumble, "No amount of soap will be able to scrub that image off my brain."


	25. Appearances Are Often Deceiving

Dinner was amicable at first. All the participants made an effort towards cordiality. Hitomi sat between her step-sons and across from Gajeel. Levy flanked Gajeel on his left and Lily was on his right sitting opposite from Ambrose, leaving Hibiki across from the solid script mage. Wine was poured by the same manservant from lunch and the two younger maids served the first course. Small talk was exchanged and nothing that could be construed as inflammatory was mentioned.

That all changed after Hitomi smiled and directed a pointed question at Levy. "How does someone of your petite stature handle such a muscular man? He looks quite the brute."

Putting a restraining hand on Gajeel's knee, Levy directed her gaze to her hostess. "Appearances are often deceiving, aren't they? He's actually quite shy." Levy giggled and her hand still under the table clenched tightly in warning to her boyfriend. "Anything else I could tell you isn't proper dinner table conversation."

Ambrose flushed with embarrassment, "Dear Step-Mother, wasn't there a charity affair you were invited to help organize? I'm sure we'd all love to hear the details."

Nodding and plastering a wide smile on his face, Hibiki spoke, "Yes, Hitomi. Father always was so proud of you helping the less fortunate."

Caught between irritation at being addressed as 'Step-Mother' and pleased with her philanthropic deeds being brought to light, Hitomi began discussing the charity event. "The women of the town are just trying to cheer me up a bit. The 'Benevolent Fund for Orphans' always has a fund raiser at this time of year. Last year's party was a tea party. For this year, it's been decided a costume party shall be held." Her eyes sparkled with suppressed tears. "My late husband would not want me to miss having fun this year."

"Dad always loved a good party." Ambrose awkwardly patted his step-mother's back. "I didn't mean to bring up sad memories."

Reaching for her wine glass, Hitomi gave a tiny real smile to Ambrose. "That fund was the first charity I joined after getting married."

Realizing the discussion had become very emotional for Hitomi, Ambrose decided to change the subject. "Has there been any break through on decoding the journal?"

"Levy is making progress, tomorrow will be a two pronged attack on the problem. She'll be hitting the reference books and me and Lily will scout around the swamp." Gajeel grinned menacingly at the two brothers. "You do not want to disturb her when she's neck deep in researching - not all my scars are from battle."

The mistress of the house looked intrigued at those words and the two brothers blanched. Levy giggled and turned her attention to her food. Lily kept a neutral expression on his face and kept silent.

The manservant pouring wine made another round of the table and desultory conversation started up again. Hibiki asked Lily about his homeland and even Ambrose joined in with a few casual comments. The rest of the meal passed without incident and when the last dessert dish was cleared away, an offer of after dinner drinks was made.

"We have a very nice selection of wine and spirits, it's just the thing to relax before bed." Hitomi motioned over to her wine steward and gave him instructions. Turning her head, she addressed the rest of the dinner party, "Let's adjourn to the parlour and entertain ourselves for a bit before retiring for the night."

Not waiting for an answer, she swept out of the room and the rest of the gathering followed. Gajeel glared at the Tildenson brothers and they shrugged, Lily flew over to Levy and she hugged him and carried him.

Arriving in the parlour, Levy gasped at the riches on display. This room was at least twice as big as the collection room and it's walls were very nearly papered with paintings from floor to ceiling. A vast checker board pattern of black and dark green tiles were the support for an impressive glossy black piano. Several chairs and couches were scattered around the focal piano and there were two large fire places keeping the area warm - one at each end of the room.

Ambrose took note of Gajeel's expression of longing, "Do you play? I myself have some small skill with the piano, as does my brother." He grimaced, "Years of forced lessons on the piano and voice classes. Once we were old enough to rebel, we stopped." Ambrose walked around the glossy instrument, trailing a finger over the closed keyboard. "Although now, my enthusiasm for such pastimes has risen at the lack of being compelled."

Hitomi stalked over to her younger step-son and awkwardly patted his back. "I remember your father insisting his heirs embrace proper culture and decorum." Suddenly realizing she was becoming maudlin, the green haired woman stepped back with a barely audible sigh. "Let's regain the party atmosphere with some lively music!"

Lily stiffened in Levy's arms and they exchanged a look of extreme unease. The exceed blanked his expression and sought Gajeel's gaze. The heavily muscled slayer was practically salivating at the chance to perform.

"I'd be more than happy to -" Gajeel put his animosity towards the Tildenson family on the back burner, ecstatic to have the chance to sing.

Hibiki stood lost in his own thoughts, stirred by his brother's reminisces. "Brother, we should play something to honour father."

Both Lily and Levy saw the slayer droop a bit at being overlooked. The petite mage gave the exceed a tiny nod and Lily spoke kindly, "Gajeel, you should be the show stopper, the grand finale, the last musician standing." He pushed out of Levy's arms and flew over to the farthest chair and sat down.

"Good idea Lily!" Regaining his poise, Gajeel swaggered over to Levy and extended his open hand to her. "If you'd care to sit with me?"

She placed her hand in his huge paw and allowed him to escort her to the loveseat. He dwarfed the refined piece of furniture, settling himself to sit back as far as it would allow and then pulled Levy to sit plastered against his side. She giggled and wound her arms around his left arm, savouring his warmth and attention.

Levy lowered her lashes and peeked at Hitomi. The older woman was standing with a solemn expression; then regained her earlier vivacity, flouncing over to the chair beside Pantherlily's and sinking gracefully into it. Hitomi gave a friendly smile to Lily and gestured to her wine steward who began serving, offering snifters of brandy, glasses of port and flutes of champagne off a silver tray.

Hitomi raised her glass, "A toast to new friends and a lovely evening of entertainment." Every one took sips of their beverage. Ambrose and Hibiki downed their drinks and settled together at the piano bench. A whispered conversation ensued then subsided as they began to play a duet. The soft and slow beginning of distinct chords built into a smooth melody and counter-melody. Their audience sat entranced for long minutes as they played and even after as they finished. Levy was the first person to set her drink down and clap politely, causing the others to follow and applaud as well.

"That was so beautiful! Was that a piece by Christoff Whalken?"

Levy had directed this question to the brothers and was surprised by Hitomi answering. "It most certainly is, a personal favourite of the whole family in fact." She smiled and dabbed a handkerchief to the corner of her eyes. "I must apologize, I am overcome with memories - I will be retiring for the night. Please, continue to entertain yourselves." Hitomi rose and walked sedately out of the room, closing the door after herself, she gathered her voluminous skirts and ran.

Ambrose glared at Hibiki and jumped up from the piano. "You haven't changed." The younger brother paused in front of the mages and bowed his head forward, "Please excuse me as well, good night." He exited and rushed after his step-mother, uncaring of the curiosity he left in his wake.

"What the hell just happened?" Gajeel scratched behind an ear, "Looks like I lost some of my audience, but the show must go on."

Levy gave Hibiki a hesitant smile, "Looks like some old family drama. We can let Gajeel sing a little something," she giggled uneasily, "It will take your mind off your step-mother and brother running out of here, for sure!"

"Ah, that may just be the best idea for right now. I quite often forget my brother doesn't have as many memories of our mother as I do." Hibiki stood up and claimed Hitomi's abandoned chair. "Hitomi was our playmate before becoming our babysitter. Mother was always busy with her charity work - actually the same charities Hitomi has taken cause with." He broke off his speech and sat lost in his thoughts as Gajeel set aside his drink and strode over to the piano, caressing the ivory keys.

The dragon slayer walked around the whole instrument, looking at it in fascination. He inclined his head at the manservant and pointed at him. "Oi! Are there any guitars? I need one, and a stool, whatever you can lay your hands on."

Pushing the bench against the piano, Gajeel then accepted the chair and guitar from the servant. He flashed his confident smile to his audience and unleashed his unusual musical styling genius. The barrage of discordant notes was something Hibiki had never been exposed to before. Levy and Lily went to their happy places and endured as best they could. Not being paid enough to put up with torture, the last two of the servants in the parlour abandoned their posts.

After an intermediate amount of time which could not have taken as long as it felt, Gajeel released the guitar and resumed his beaming smile. "Thank you, thank you very much."

Realizing the mage was about to announce another song, Lily and Levy clapped furiously and encouraged Hibiki to join in.

"That was interesting!"

"That was something else!"

"That was a never to be forgotten performance," Hibiki said, some of his colour returning. "Oh, my, look at the time! I have to get up very early - lots of farming to attend to. Good night, pleasant dreams." He gave a nervous chuckle and backed out of the room, a sickly smile tacked onto his face.

"Well, I'm ready to have a good night, how about you, Shrimp?" Gajeel stood in front of his diminutive mate, his smile making her stomach flutter. Levy looked up at her boyfriend, his confident grin speeding up her heartbeat.

Lily watched his humans embrace, turning his head as Gajeel initiated a kiss. Feeling a little embarrassed, the exceed used his magic and flew past the entwined couple. "G'night guys, don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Lily easily dodged the cushion the slayer launched at him and laughed as he flew through the house towards his guest room.

Lily kept sniggering as he replayed the looks on the faces of the wine steward and nice maid named Mary. As loyal an exceed as could be found, Lily would not outright say anything against his partner's lack of singing ability. He appreciated the effort the mage put into the song writing, but found that earplugs really enhanced Gajeel's performances.

Slipping into his room, Lily smiled to see the kiwi bowl refilled. He picked one up, deciding to have a bath and consume the fruit as he waited for the tub to fill. Lily cast his eye over the contents of the room and found a bookcase. He selected a book filled with battle tactics, needing something to keep his mind occupied and distracted from the noise he was sure to overhear from his two humans.

The two mages were alone in the parlour. Levy ran her hands over Gajeel's buttocks after hugging him. She giggled as he clenched his cheeks. He plunged his fingers into her hair and massaged her scalp. Her soft moan triggered a groan of his own, her panting exhalations increasing the coil of tension in his lower abdomen.

"Our host did tell us to have a good night." Levy trailed her fingers to the bottom of her mate's shirt, yanking his shirttail up. "Are you ready to start our game? Levy says, stand still." Smirking, she reached under his shirt and up as high as she could, then dragging her nails down Gajeel's sinewy back.

"Mmmm," the slayer growled, his blazing eyes looking down into Levy's glowing face. "We're two flights of stairs away from your room." Gajeel stood motionless, still obeying her first command. "Can I suggest an order?"

"In a bit." Keeping her eyes on his, Levy unbuttoned the bottom half of Gajeel's shirt. Her cupid's bow lips pressing together in an unfathomable smile, she traced the hard muscles of his stomach with both hands. Levy concentrated on her voyage of discovery. She made mental notes where her touch caused him to hiss an intake of breath. Her fingers trailed into and out of his belly button and lingered right under. A feather light touch of nails over his ribs on his left side made him grit out a curse. Gajeel trembled as Levy used her thumbs low on the sides of his hips, exploring the softer skin just under the waist band of his pants.

Her lips curved up higher as she watched his throat work, his Adam's apple bobbling as she continued to touch the wide, smooth planes of his chest. "Have I reduced you to a lack of speech yet?"

It took him a fair amount of effort, but Gajeel was able to reply. "N-no. It's gonna take more than t-that."

"Levy says, let's go to bed."


	26. Don't Hold Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levy and Gajeel play their game of 'Levy Says' romping from downstairs to Levy's room. Mature Content ahead.

Levy let out a soft 'oomph' as Gajeel swept her off her feet. His eyes seemed to be glowing; the bluenette was mesmerized by their intense rich and dark red. He held her effortlessly, one arm keeping her chest mashed to his and the other under her knees. She stared, mute, until he gave her a deliberate wink. Levy giggled and at that signal, Gajeel started to head for the privacy of Levy's room.

Throwing her arms around his neck, Levy began laying siege to Gajeel's throat. She nipped, licked and bit as she pleased. Intrigued by his pulse jumping, Levy used the tips of her nails to scratch random patterns on Gajeel's broad shoulders. She closed her eyes and revelled at being held so tenderly in his thickly muscled arms. Swiftly he made his way through the darkened manor, jogging up both flights of stairs and arriving at Levy's chamber.

Levy blushed as Gajeel carried her over the threshold, he used his elbow to close the door and came to a halt in the middle of her room. She held tight to one side of his shirt, breathed deeply and slowly raised her head to meet with his burning eyes. "Levy says, kiss me."

Eagerly, the slayer bent his head to her lifted face and joined lips. Gajeel asserted his claim over his mate, pulling louder and louder moans from her throat as he dominated her with lips, tongue and teeth. Levy's hands migrated to flutter over Gajeel's cheekbones and burrow into his shaggy mane of hair. She tugged lightly and was rewarded with a rumbling groan. Levy was held against his body, now held by her hips. She wriggled and pushed against his chest.

Grinning maniacally, Gajeel raised one eyebrow, "Can't do nothin' without your permission, Shrimp." She pouted; he relented and set her down. "What else did you have in mind?"

Hands on her hips, Levy smiled and crooked her finger at her mate. Silent, she backed up to the large bed and when her knees came into contact she sat down. Gajeel moved forward a few steps and waited. Jogging up the flights of stairs, carrying Levy hadn't made his heart race as much as seeing the look right now in her eyes. The supreme confidence, the desire barely held in check, the depth of her want for him shone from her delicate visage.

A lustful smile slowly painted itself on Gajeel's face. He could smell the arousal emanating from Levy. It was earthy, special; unique to his petite mate. His fingers twitched in eagerness to touch her. He wanted to tease and coax sweet moans from her throat as he satisfied their mutual desires. The slayer stood tall and proud as his woman curled her legs to the side as she reclined on the bed and allowed her eyes to roam up and down his physique.

"Levy says, strip."

Nimble fingers released the few remaining buttons on his shirt. Gajeel remained silent, letting his fanged grin speak for him. He kept his eyes trained on the object of his desire. His shirt was discarded and his belt unbuckled, his boots kicked off, followed by his pants. Levy's smile never faltered as she watched her mate disrobe. Gajeel stood with his legs apart, hands on boxer clad hips, waiting.

"You're not done. You've got something in my way." Levy tilted her head and the tip of her tongue wetted her lips. "Levy says...join with me."

Fuelled by desire; Gajeel strode forward, muscles flexing. He cupped Levy's chin and claimed a burning kiss that fired her nerves into a furious dance of excitement. She was laying supine on the bed, touched only by lips, tongue and a hand on her chin. She felt immersed in a maelstrom of adoration.

Her limbs twitched, and her legs became restless. An ache settled low in her abdomen. Levy yearned for satisfaction. She'd read enough of Erza's and Lucy's borrowed books to know exactly how slot 'A' was supposed to be filled by tab 'B', yet had only ever assuaged her passions solo on rare occasions. It wasn't prudery to deny herself, but a multitude of factors - mostly, wanting a partner to share in the pleasure.

Gruffly, Gajeel spoke, "You sure? I can hold back," he sighed deeply, "I don't want to, but for you I can."

Levy reached over with a light touch and stroked his chest, her fingers dancing on the ripples of his abdomen. "I'm sure, you're my mate, and I desire you." She reached over to grab one of his hands and pressed it to her cheek before engulfing his ring finger in her mouth and sucking. Feeling wild and free, Levy nipped his finger before releasing his wet digit. "Levy says, remove my clothes." A purring sort of laugh accompanied her words.

Gajeel smiled fiercely and Levy could feel herself becoming wet. He trailed a finger down her neck and over the tops of her breasts. She panted and clenched her legs, trying to claim some relief. His hands busied themselves with unbuttoning her blouse and pulling her shirttail out of her skirt. Levy hissed through her teeth as Gajeel revealed her bra clad breasts and quickly unzipped her skirt. She laughed as he tugged it down and off her legs, throwing it on the floor.

"I can honestly say I have never wanted you more. I'm not going to let anything stop me from claiming this happiness that can be mine." Gajeel murmured these words against Levy's stomach as he eased her bikini panties down and off. The bed shuddered as Gajeel added his weight to it and was kneeling at Levy's feet.

"Ahhhh..." Levy was close to losing all control of her verbal skills, "Gajeel, I'm done with playing games, I want to be your mate. Please...there's no more 'Levy says', there's only our craving for each other...I want to connect with you." She panted short breaths and whined. "I need you to touch me."

"Levy, I've needed to touch you for the longest time." Gajeel laughed, a sharp bark, almost devoid of humour. "Every day and every night, I added to my fantasies. Let's make some memories."

Gajeel covered Levy with his body, knees on either side of her hips and elbows at her shoulders. She arched her back, trying to rub her body against his. He licked the side of her neck and bit, marking his mate. Minutes passed as Gajeel gave tender attention to his claiming love mark. He decided he was finished as Levy began to thrash her head from side to side.

Panting, Levy shrugged her shirt off, worked the clasp of her bra free and discarded the offending articles of clothing. She clung to his biceps and squeezed. Levy lifted her hazel eyes up to his red eyes and smiled. Her rosy lips stretched as she bared her teeth. With her next breath Levy launched a tickle attack. Her hands deftly sought out and teasingly rubbed and tickled Gajeel's erogenous zones.

"Hey, s-s-stop that!" He laughed, his face becoming more boyish and flopped over on his side trying to evade Levy's questing fingers.

Blowing a curl of hair out of her eyes, Levy grinned happily. "Stop? I'm just making some memories. Matter of fact, I'm working through one of my fantasies." She pulled herself closer and whispered into his ear, "You're still wearing boxers. You need some help?"

"Gi hehe. Yes." Feeling powerful, Levy stroked her slayer's hard stomach and delicately worked her fingers under the elastic band of his boxers. Keeping her eyes trained on her soon-to-be lover, Levy started pulling them down. Gajeel assisted by arching his hips up off the bed. The bluenette drew the piece of clothing down and off his legs, dropping them on the floor and returning all of her attention to her fully nude mountain of a man.

She knelt to the side of his body and pressed a demanding kiss to his lips. Levy edged closer and stroked the broad plane of his pectoral muscles and trailed her fingers down to his navel. Grinning, she nipped her way down his throat only to shriek as Gajeel rolled on top. He supported his weight with his knees and elbows, smiling at his woman's sulk.

"I was exploring!" Levy pouted, "Don't you want my touch?"

"It's my turn to explore, and touch," Gajeel whispered these words into her ear and then directed his attention to Levy's breasts,"and taste." He gently teased her nipples into stiff peaks, fastening his lips on one and then switching to the other at his woman's moan. He tongued a path from between her breasts, licking lower and lower as Levy arched her hips. Gajeel blew a moist puff of air onto her belly button and dragged his fingertips from her breastbone to down past her navel.

"Ah, don't stop." Her cheeks a bright rosy pink, Levy squirmed, trying to grind up against her mate. "And don't hold back."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Gajeel drew back and huffed another breath of air, to where his finger was beginning to burrow. The iron dragon slayer was not disappointed; his mate rewarded his actions with a moan, and moved her legs further apart. "Sounds like you're going to give me a little concert now." Gently, he added another finger and thrust in and out, listening to the music of Levy's passionate cries. Already, his turgid length was seeping pre-cum. Her scent was weaving a spell on his senses. Gajeel inhaled her arousal and growled. His back rippled as he hoisted Levy's legs over his shoulders and made introductions with his tongue.

Long minutes passed as he pleasured her. For the very briefest of moments, she was shocked, trying to scoot away from his mouth's assault. The deliberate suckling of her clit gave her pause, that's when her hands drifted down to nestle in his wild mane of hair and grabbed hold. Her head thrashed from side to side as a glorious pressure built up low in her abdomen. It pooled and bubbled, until it became a potent geyser shooting from her core to all over her body. Levy shouted aloud, trembling from her release.

She drifted awash in pleasure, blinking as her lover's face came into focus. "Gi hehe! I think you're ready for the main event."

"Right, whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. I must be invincible now - that melted me."

Gajeel reached down and slowly guided himself into his woman's warm welcoming heat. He slid in, inch by inch; a look of wonderment on his face, as his probing found Levy's maidenhead. Levy smiled, her hands reaching out to his, interlacing their fingers. Her mouth opened, making a soundless 'o' as he pressed and tore her hymen. Levy's heels pressed into the bed and she finally gasped, dragging much needed air into her lungs. The pain spiked and ebbed, the full feeling in her loins became pleasure.

The petite girl showed her love a blinding smile, locked her ankles around his waist and wriggled her hips insistently. Gajeel pulled back and pushed back into his new heaven. Sweat dampened them everywhere as he sustained his steady pace, determined to stir her passions into a frenzy. As Levy's vocalizations became louder and louder, Gajeel smirked and teased her clit with the pad of his thumb.

A squeal was his prize as his mate shuddered anew, another wet gush of release adding to the sweaty mess of their bodies. Not waiting for her orgasm to finish, he rolled their connected bodies over. Thrusting his hips up, he guided her hips down. This new angle pressed his hardness against new nerves and gave Levy more control. She lifted and pushed down, angled her hips, every new sensation giving her pleasure.

His mouth was dry and his breathing harsh as he endured the sweetest of pleasure as his mate learned to ride. His hands flexed as he continued to guide Levy's hips. She gasped and leaned back, grinding faster as another orgasm built and rushed to fruition. Gajeel was unable to hold back any more, his desire for his mate propelled another growl out of his throat. Both mages toppled over the edge of the known world, spinning together, satiated.

Levy slumped over, pressing her head against the strong, rapid thump of Gajeel's heart. He lay back and luxuriated in the knowledge he'd secured his mate. The slayer tousled Levy's locks and ran a soothing hand up and down her spine.

Levy mumbled, "Mine."

"Yours." Gajeel rumbled in agreement. "I hope you're not a blanket hog."


	27. Go Work Up an Appetite

"Ass." Levy giggled and stretched, "It would serve you right if I did steal the blankets." She pouted, "But I can't hog the blankets until you help me. A certain dragon slayer has stolen my energy."

Gajeel's deep voice rumbled, "As long as you realize it's actually your fault - how could I resist you?"

"Yes, yes, the big bad dragon slayer has been seduced by the bookworm." Levy gave Gajeel a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You poor man, forced to submit to my lecherous advances." She allowed Gajeel to tuck her under the comforter. "Thanks for making our first time so special."

Gajeel snaked an arm under Levy's neck and turned to gaze into her drooping eyes. "Levy, it wasn't just me; together, we're a force to be reckoned with." He draped his other arm over her breasts and gathered her close. I am damn lucky.

"You're right," Levy grasped the hand supporting her head, "Together, it was beyond my imagination." She kissed his hand and burrowed under the blanket. "Good night my love."

Gajeel blushed and answered hurriedly, "Love you too, g'night Levy."

Levy let a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in at her mate's response. The sexual languor she felt was swiftly rendering her unconscious, she replayed the snippet of him uttering her name in his deep voice over and over as she fell asleep. The slayer shifted his bulk and pulled his diminutive lover closer. Gajeel brushed Levy's hair back from the nape of her neck and inhaled her scent. He stroked a hand down her side and left it on her hip as he too fell asleep.

The sound of pages flipping brought Gajeel gradually awake. The soft humming from Levy dipped and rose as she followed the text of her book. She was sitting upright; dressed in an over sized t-shirt, hair tousled, hunched forward and cross-legged. The tome on her lap was currently held open by her note book which she was busy scribbling in.

Gajeel stretched his limbs and rubbed the grit out of his eyes. He smacked his lips and sat up to address Levy, "G'mornin' Shrimp. Looks like you got dragged through a hedge backwards."

"And greetings to you, o glorious flatterer." Levy set down her pen and closed her book with the note book inside of it, turning her head to stare at Gajeel. "This is new for the both of us, I get that you're not a sentimental fool...but I could use some reassurance." She flushed and twisted a strand of her hair around a finger, winding it over and over, then finally tucking it behind her ear. "I do not need, nor want to know how many people you've been with..." Levy took a deep breath and continued, "I am aware that inexperience can be a limiting factor, but -"

Her words were cut off as Gajeel growled and plucked Levy's reference book from her lap and dropped it on the floor. He smirked as she frowned and crossed her arms. Levy sat waiting, mesmerized by the dark red of his eyes. Slowly, Gajeel reached out and palmed her chin in one massive hand. "Yer right, I'm not a fool - but I can be as mental over sentiment as you need me to be." He cocked his head and regarded Levy with a tender smile. "On occasion, I might even be stirred to poetry."

"Really?" Levy was openly amused. "You tell me how horrid I look first thing in the morning, after what I think is sensational love making, and now I'm supposed to believe you're going to woo me with a sonnet?"

His fingers slid down her neck and traced her collarbone. Levy's heart rate sped up and it took a lot of the slayer's self control to not pounce on his woman. Still gazing into her hazel eyes, Gajeel pushed the t-shirt off Levy's shoulder and squeezed. "Your whole body is like a work of art, music and poetry combined."

Cheeks hot with embarrassment, Levy broke eye contact and gripped the bottom of her t-shirt. "I'm short, my chest is not that endowed and - "

Gajeel cut off Levy's protestations with an open mouthed kiss. He captured her face between his warm palms and urged her to participate in a battle of tongues. Soon Gajeel had Levy pulled onto his lap as he stripped her of the t-shirt and flung it across the room. She wriggled against him, rubbing her chest into his, the nerve endings in her skin sparking with desire. His strongly thumping heart roused her passions; the knowledge he was stimulated by her gyrations gave her more confidence.

The knock on the door made Levy growl and Gajeel curse under his breath. Levy slipped off of Gajeel and pulled on her t-shirt, strode to the door and opened it a crack. "Can I help you?"

"Excuse the early morning wake-up, but the mistress wished to breakfast with your whole team." Recognising the woman's voice, Levy stuck her face out into the hall to give Mary a reassuring smile. The maid continued, "You've got an hour before she descends downstairs. Make use of your time wisely." The older woman smiled back and winked. "Go work up an appetite."

"Good idea, thanks." Levy shut the door and locked it before turning back to the bed. "I know you could hear that, is there anything you're in the mood for?" The petite bluenette proudly sauntered forward.

"Well, now that you mention it..." Gajeel ran his tongue over his fangs and smiled fiercely at Levy. "C'mere and I'll show you." He rose up to his knees and crooked is finger at his mate. The blankets hung off his obvious arousal and he pushed them out of his way.

She walked to the edge of the bed and gave Gajeel a challenging look. Arms crossed at the bottom of her shirt, Levy gripped the hem and tugged it off in one smooth motion. "Show me." She shrieked as he grabbed and pulled her unresisting body onto the bed, hugged her as he licked and bit her neck. "You seem to have quite the oral fixation on my neck."

"Yes, but not just only, gi hehe!" Gajeel stroked his hands down Levy's back and cupped her generous derriere. "I've got a tactile fascination with your incredible ass." Levy gasped as his strong fingers squeezed rhythmically in tune with his gyrations against her core. "I've got respect for your perky tits."

Expecting to be swatted for his last comment Gajeel was nonplused as Levy only laughed in response. A wide smile on her lips, she purred, "I've got respect for your perky tits too." She ran her hands over his chest and flicked his nipples. "Nice!"

She tried to twist away as he lunged forward, pushing her onto her knees. Gajeel held onto Levy's shoulders and growled lightly. "This is a spectacular way to show you my appreciation of your charms." He leant forward and licked from the base of her spine to her neck. Into her ear he panted, "I'm in the mood for dragon style."

Levy's pulse spiked, she felt her nipples pebble and her nether portions throb from Gajeel's words spoken in a hard rasp into her ear. The slayer darted his tongue into Levy's ear at the same time he moved one hand to her hip and the other to cup a breast. She arched her back and moaned as her lover plucked at her nipple, his large body emanating the heat she craved. Levy backed into his groin, her mouth parted on a intake of breath as his grip shifted and he guided his erection into her welcoming warmth.

For long minutes, the sounds of slapping skin, groaning cries and the creaking of the bed echoed in the room. Levy clutched her pillow and concentrated her senses on the feel of Gajeel's thickly muscled body pounding away inside her tight channel. Panting, she spread her legs more and pushed against his powerful thrusts. "Fuck me harder!" The words burst forth from her mouth unbidden, and Levy felt even more mortified as Gajeel chuckled.

"My woman's got a bit of a potty mouth, huh?" His hips kept a steady pace as he rhythmically thrust and withdrew, his voice deep, "I love the way you feel, you're so tight." His fingers clutched her hips firmly, "I could spend the rest of my life inside of you." Gajeel chuckled again, "But we have duties to attend to, don't we?" He swivelled his groin and pounded against Levy harder and deeper.

Levy felt Gajeel slide one hand across her pelvis and dip a finger into her. He found and tweaked her bundle of nerves, releasing a blitzkrieg of sensation, triggering an orgasm that whitened her vision for several heartbeats. Her internal muscles clamped down and milked his erection, his bellow of release inducing another aftershock of pleasure.

Both mages collapsed heavily onto the bed and curled onto their sides. Gajeel withdrew from his mate and slapped her on the ass. "G'mornin' again!"

"Oh, you did not just do that." Levy rolled over to come face to face with the broadly smirking saturnine slayer. "You will pay for that."

"What? Can't a man compliment his woman as the situation demands?" Gajeel grinned and hugged Levy close.

"Slapping my ass in not a compliment. You should say something nice about my wonderful personality or appearance." Levy grumbled her complaint into his chest.

"Levy, I've noticed you're as complex and sweet as those botanical arrangements in the collection room, growing as wild in my arms as do those samples."

"That's very poetic and confusing. But thanks." Levy smiled and traced random patterns on Gajeel's arm.

"Everything that's in that room, only grows in the wild, none of 'em take to cultivation."

Levy let his statement tick over in her brain, "You sure about that? None of those herbs and flowers are readily farmed? Because I read the notes on each print and they specified which garden from the manor that they were taken from."

"Hell Shrimp, I'm no expert, but I recognized one of the collection was an herb I tried to grow before - an arthritis herb for my neighbour and I couldn't get the damn thing to co-operate worth shit." Gajeel blinked in confusion as Levy pushed her face close into his and beamed a glorious smile. "They like their micro climates, the soils they prefer are special."

"This is the first break in the case!" Levy planted an exuberant kiss to Gajeel's lips. "We need to re-examine the prints in the collection room and check the garden for clues!"


	28. Progress

Gajeel sat back as Levy leapt out of bed and picked up her book, taking out her notebook and jotting down a quick note. She hugged the tome to her chest and turned around to face her boyfriend. "Were you just staring at my ass -" her face glowed a soft pink and she finished her word, "-ets? We've got work to do!"

Levy's heart shook and fluttered as she watched Gajeel smile broadly. "Maybe I was staring at your," he drawled the next word, "assets. Gi he he! What are you gonna do about it?"

"Depends how much time we have to clean up and if you get into the bathroom before I shut the door." Levy gathered up her toiletries and padded naked into the bathing chamber.

The slayer burst into action, moving quickly to crowd his woman at the edge of the tub as she set down her shampoo and conditioner. "We've got twenty minutes before we should go down for breakfast." He trailed a finger down and then up the delicate indents of her spine. Gajeel immersed both hands in her mop of hair and massaged her skull.

The petite woman moaned in appreciation, "Oh, that feels heavenly. This makes me think of a massage book I read once." Levy sighed in disappointment as the male dropped his hands away and picked up the shampoo to read the label.

"It's not as good as my brand, but I suppose it'll do."

He hid a grin as Levy looked up and glowered at him. "You know, it's not too late to send you back to your room, to your shower and your toiletries."

Gajeel snorted and hooked his hands under Levy's armpits as she stood there with her hands on her hips. Easily he lifted her into the tub. "Your stuff suits me just fine, it'll get the point across with that woman." His lips twisted and settled into a tight, unhappy line. "And the younger step-son."

"Uh huh, don't worry about others. We can't control what they do, but we always have choice and control over our own actions." Levy backed up as Gajeel stepped into the tub and unhooked the shower nozzle, twisting the taps open and adjusting the heat and spray. "For instance, as intimate as we've been, I haven't really touched everything I've been curious about." Levy settled a hand on one of Gajeel's glorious buttocks and squeezed. He kept sluicing water over his head and shoulders, waiting to see where his woman would explore next.

He couldn't hold back a low murmur of disappointment when Levy removed her hand. Gajeel gained a smirk as she picked up a cloth and bath gel, soaping them and began to wash his chest with vigour. He used the shower head to wet his companion, allowing it to fall from his lax fingers as Levy gentled her scrubbing and trailed her delicate hand down to his manhood.

At leisure to look her fill, Levy indulged in a slow perusal of what laid in her grasp. A look of concentration on her face, her nerves steady; Levy coaxed a guttural moan from her lover as she clenched and slid her fingers back and forth. Looking up, she witnessed Gajeel lean back against the wall and tilt his head back, the proud column of his throat working as he tried to suppress his urge to moan.

"Gajeel?"

"Y-yah?"

"We need to get a move on." Levy stuck the washcloth into her mate's hand and presented him with her back. She giggled impishly and he obediently soaped his lover's body.

"Yer cold, Shrimp. That is not cool." Gajeel grumbled even as he finished washing his woman, and continued with pouty looks and semi-verbalized complaints as they finished showering.

Out of the bathroom, Levy donned a fresh set of clothes. Gajeel wearing only a towel, stole away to his room to dress. Inside of five minutes there came a knock on his door, and Lily called through asking for entry.

"Come in. We made some progress this morning."

Lily shut the door behind him, and started sniggering into his paw. "I think you're a little confused, I'm pretty sure you made progress last night." He tensed, waiting for Gajeel to react. When nothing was forthcoming, Lily stepped closer and held out his paw.

"What are you doing?" Gajeel groused.

"Let me be serious and congratulate you on sealing the deal with your mate." Lily smiled at his partner and stood stoic as Gajeel shook his hand and then swept him up in a hug. "Don't get too sappy. We've got to concentrate on our mission."

"That's what I was sayin' in the first place. Levy noticed notes on the framed botanical art in the collection room, detailing where each sample was taken from in the manor gardens. They only grow in the wild, there shouldn't be any cultivated." Gajeel smirked, "Levy is as smart as she is sexy."

Lily gave a slight nod, "Settle down lover boy. It might not mean anything - we still need to explore the swamp. Levy mentioned a letter we have waiting to be delivered."

"I don't recall her telling me anything about that." Gajeel frowned.

Lily rolled his eyes, "On the train, you were slumped unconscious. Did you think we wouldn't talk? Levy's gonna be in our lives until death do you part. I wanted to start telling her some embarrassing stories involving you anyway. Heh heh!" The exceed grinned to see Gajeel pale slightly.

"Which stories did you tell her?"

"Oi! Nothing that paints you in a bad light, but we're getting off topic. The letter is kinda important. Titania will not be pleased if we don't deliver her missive to Jellal." Lily smirked, "Get the letter from Levy and we'll use your super dragon sniffer to run across Scarlet's favourite fugitive."

"Hmmpphht. After checking the garden with Shrimp, we'll go scout the swamp." Gajeel strode over to the door and pulled it open just before Levy was about to knock. He smiled. "We were just firming up plans for after breakfast. Lily says there's a letter to deliver?"

Levy blushed, thinking of the contents of the letter. "Ah, I was wondering how to bring that up. It's been burning a hole in my satchel this whole time! It's gotta get delivered or Erza will never forgive me. Let's walk and talk, I seem to be very hungry."

The three mages exited the room and hurried downstairs, meeting with Mary who was about to ascend the stairs. She bade them all good morning and turned about to lead them to where breakfast was being served. "Mistress Hitomi has decided on opening the veranda for this meal. I don't know what's brought that on, only her and the master used to eat together there." Mary sighed, "She hasn't used it herself since he passed, and now to invite others into her personal domain? Sorry, I don't mean to gossip - she's my employer after all - but she's acting a little out of the ordinary."

Levy reached out and gently laid a hand on Mary's shoulder. "I don't think you've said anything to be sorry about. It helps me to have a bit more background information about the people involved. This journal is about family and I need lots of puzzle pieces to see the big picture."

With a grateful smile, the maid nodded and opened a set of curtained double doors. "This is the breakfast patio. Please be seated and I'll send Mabel and Melissa in to serve momentarily." Her second half of her sentence was directed to Hitomi, who was already seated at the head of an oval table. Wearing a flashy brocade jacket over a plain green dress, the mistress of the household smiled at all three mages. Her hair was coiffed into a matronly chignon and her makeup was thickly applied.

Gajeel grunted and dropped into the chair furthest from his hostess, Lily sat in front of the bowl of kiwis and Levy won the seat on Hitomi's right side by default.

Unperturbed by Gajeel's indifference, Hitomi allowed her smile to sharpen as she addressed him, "You look very refreshed. I trust all the rooms were up to standards?"

"Mine was great! Thanks for the kiwis in my room!" Lily picked up the knife from his place setting and started peeling one of the fruits from the bowl. "I can't get enough."

Levy smiled brightly, "Mine's very nice. I got such a restful sleep."

Gajeel smirked but remained silent.

Lily nibbled on his kiwi and turned to Levy, "You were telling us about a slight lead you've made on breaking the code?"

"Oh yes!" The young woman smiled even brighter and edged her chair a little closer to her hostess. "Gajeel and I were talking about the beautiful floral art in the collection room. I noticed that each sample had a notation where they were taken from, but he figures they couldn't have come from those areas because they aren't readily cultivated." Levy spoke animatedly, caught up in the excitement she felt when diving into a puzzle. "We're going to check out each location in the garden after breakfast and then..." She flushed, "Sorry! I tend to run off at the mouth when I get stoked over such things."

"Don't be sorry, I think it's admirable." Hitomi gave a wistful smile, "Perhaps it's just as well I decided to begin using this patio again. Look on the wall behind you." Almost as one, all the house guests turned at her direction.

Lily flew out of his seat to get a better look at the pressed floral art. "This is beautiful, it says taken from the Summer Garden."

The two younger maids bustled in carrying steaming platters of breakfast foods, followed by the manservant who pushed a drinks trolley.

"Let's enjoy a wonderful start to the day." Hitomi allowed her plate to be filled and accepted a cup of tea. Quickly and efficiently the servants dished out food and beverages to the table, setting the platters down in the center of the table. Only the manservant remained behind in charge of the cart.

All three mages readily partook of the food, Hitomi sipped daintily at her tea and picked at her food. After the largest of hunger pangs had been assuaged, Hitomi cleared her throat and addressed Levy. "As I recall, Ambrose and Hibiki brought up the costume party that is being planned." She paused and looked over at Gajeel. Bringing her eyes back to Levy; Hitomi gave a toothy grin, "I'd like to invite all of you to attend. It will have to be this weekend; I'm sure the committee will wish to take advantage of the full moon this weekend."

Both Lily and Gajeel sat impassive to the green haired woman's words. Levy nodded a little uncertainly, "We're here to work, to solve the coded journal and retrieve your family treasure. I don't think I'd feel right hobnobbing with society when I'm getting paid to do a job..."

"Don't be silly, you've already started to solve the mystery! All work and no play makes Jack and Jill very boring!" Hitomi giggled, the girlish laughter at odds with her mature appearance. "I insist! I shall take it upon myself to choose the perfect costumes for you." She beamed at each of them in turn, "This is going to be excellent!"

Lily shrugged and Gajeel grunted, both continued eating. Levy smiled weakly, "Looks like that's settled. After we finish our meal, we're definitely going to have to sleuth harder."

Hitomi placed her napkin over her plate. "I have some household accounts to go over right now, I'll be taking Geoffrey with me. I trust you can serve yourselves from the cart? Please finish your meal at your leisure." She rose from her chair and smiled in real surprise as both Lily and Gajeel rose as well. Hitomi patted Levy on the shoulder as she walked past and murmured, "You are a very lucky young woman to be in the company of such polite gentlemen. The Summer Garden is actually down the path from this patio should you wish to check it out next. It was my wedding gift." Hitomi pressed her lips together tightly and hurried out of the room followed by Geoffrey.

Once alone with her partners, Levy sighed. "It's getting harder to dislike that woman."

Gajeel snorted, "Don't worry. I'm sure when she digs up costumes for us, you'll be able to find the hate again. I bet Lily will get something cute, you'll receive rags and she'll no doubt dress me in something skimpy."

The petite bluenette smirked, "Like I said, it's getting harder to dislike Hitomi; especially if she's gonna dress you in something skimpy."


	29. Observe and Report

Levy and Lily laughed as Gajeel frowned. "Let's go check out the Summer Garden before you forget we have work to do."

Levy dabbed her mouth daintily with her napkin and dropped it over her plate, pushing back in her chair and walking over to the framed art. "This is just stunning. What a delicate flower - it's so lacy looking and yet sturdy enough to be dried and pressed."

Gajeel stalked over to his petite mate and stared at the pressing over her shoulder. "Some of it is due to the artist's skill. I've seen amalgamations, impossible mixtures of flower types and stages of growth to create something entirely new and unfound in nature."

Her eyes lighting up, Levy turned and placed a soft hand on Gajeel's hard muscled upper arm. "Oh! Maybe we should re-examine the collection room for that sort of thing." She teased, "Having you around is starting to pay off."

"Oi! Let's just go check out the Summer Garden and see what we can find."

Flying above his two humans, Lily smirked to see Gajeel drag Levy out and down the path paved with flagstones. The path wound left and right, following the gentle contours of the landscape. A cairn made of river rocks was capped with a bronze plaque, bearing the inscription: 'Summer, a beginning, a start from the past'. Masses of blooming flowers were scattered in clumps, a border of ground cover filling in gaps, everything was a glorious riot of colour.

Lily landed lightly atop the monument and surveyed the peaceful scene. "Looks like a flower garden to me."

Pulling out her ever present notebook, Levy flipped it open and scrawled down the words from the cairn for posterity. "A puzzle piece isn't going to just jump out at first sight, we've got to put some thinking into this. Once we examine each garden, the discrepancies will jump out at us. Everything that is the same will become more apparent; the more we know, the more we'll know what we need to check." She giggled, "Does that make sense?"

"A bit, the more we know, the more we know we don't know." Gajeel rubbed his forehead and growled. "I like a foe I can punch."

Nodding in solidarity, Lily crossed his arms. "I must agree with Gajeel; an enemy you can punch gives immediate satisfaction."

Levy shrugged and explored the garden further. "Not everything can be so cut and dried." She hummed to herself as she wandered around the haphazardly laid out garden. Spying a tiny purple flower smack dab in the middle of an all green zone of plants, Levy lowered herself to peer at it closer. Lost in thought, she didn't notice Gajeel walk up behind her. His hand on her lower back startled her and yelping, she jerked upright.

"Easy Shrimp!" The slayer chuckled, "I was just curious what had you so enthralled."

"Ah, just a solitary flower blooming amongst a sea of green."

Gajeel steadied his mate as she stepped back and stumbled over his foot. "Careful! Don't go breaking yourself."

She arched her back and tilted her head, making eye contact. "I'm not made of porcelain you know. I'm sturdy despite my appearance."

"I know you're tough, but caution is good no matter how strong you are." Gajeel leaned down, making eye contact with his diminutive girlfriend. He flushed and awkwardly pressed a swift kiss to Levy's cheek. "I got an itch to explore the swamp, why don't you hand over that note, me'n'Lily will play letter carrier."

Sporting a matching blush, Levy slipped her hand into her skirt pocket and withdrew the important missive. "Erza was sure you'd be able to sniff out Jellal. I hope you find him easy, so you can concentrate on our mission after."

Puffing up his chest, Gajeel replied, "I'm sure it'll be as easy as Salamander is dumb. Gi hehe!"

Lily cackled, "He's not that dumb, he caught his mate before you even figured out Levy was yours." He stood still, eyes dancing with mirth as Gajeel sputtered invective. "How dumb can you say Natsu is when he's always been with Lucy ever since meeting her?"

His face red, Gajeel frowned. "There's a lot of bad history for me and Levy - ."

An elbow to the gut cut off the slayer's words. Looking at Lily and then Gajeel, Levy shook her head. "Let's not rehash this. The past is what brought us here, right now, today. We can't change yesterday, and frankly, I don't want to. I'm gonna run up to the collection room and take notes, then check each garden. I expect you and Lily to occupy yourselves." The bookworm crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Go!"

Grinning sheepishly, the pierced male and his exceed started to back away from Levy. Gajeel snatched the letter out of Levy's hand and stuffed it into his pants pocket. "Later!" The boys turned tail and ran further onto the estate and away from the Summer Garden. Lily sprouted his wings and flew high, checking for a clear path. He swooped down low and pointed toward a stand of evergreen trees. Gajeel grunted and loped towards the target.

Levy watched her partners head towards the far tree line. Giggling softly, she shrugged to herself and walked all around the garden path, circling twice. She kept her eyes roving left and right, trying to ascertain anything potentially out of place or uncommon. Sighing, Levy pocketed her notebook and pen as she walked back towards the Tildenson Manor House.

Inside the Collection room, Levy re-examined each framed floral artwork. Flipping to a new page, she scribbled numbers one through six and jotted down the information they had so far acquired.

1) Summer Garden - 'Summer, a beginning, a start from the past' Bronze plaque affixed to rock cairn

2) Kitchen Garden

3) Spring Garden

4) Fall Garden

5) Himawari's Garden

6) Winter Garden

Excited to be making progress on the mission, Levy skipped down the stairs as fast as she could. Rounding the last corner, she almost ran into Mary laden with a stack of fresh sheets. "Sorry! I wasn't paying attention, I've got to check out the gardens for clues."

"Don't worry about it, it reminds me of happier days when the two young masters would play in the house." Mary set down her linens on a nearby table and grinned, reminiscing. "Actually, Hitomi was their favourite babysitter when the boys were almost six and eight years old. She was sixteen and you wouldn't know to look at her now, but loved to play games with the boys."

Levy hesitated, "And how old are the 'boys' now?"

The maid giggled. "So you can figure out how old Hitomi is? Hibiki is twenty-eight, Ambrose is twenty-six and herself is thirty-six."

The solid script mage flushed, "Well, she does dress a bit fussy and today's make-up looked like it was applied with a trowel. I thought she was trying to hide the ravages of time, but she's not even middle aged."

"And already a widow, tch." Mary patted Levy's arm. "Ah, keep your young man happy and you'll keep feeling young together. I must finish changing the sheets. Find the kitchen and the cook will direct you to the garden there; the path leads to each succeeding garden."

"Thank you very much!" Levy marched off down the hallway, her strides gaining speed until she was almost jogging towards the kitchen. Mary picked up the neglected linens and returned to her duties humming.

Not even five minutes later, the cook ushered Levy towards the Kitchen Garden. Stepping outside, the mage was struck by the sheer amount of herbs, fruits and vegetables growing in the well ordered plots. She walked a full circuit of the perimeter and then ventured in deeper. This path was covered in gravel and only wide enough for one person, but was laid out in a grid so that each plot of soil was two feet wide and five feet long. There were twenty individual areas, each crowded full of growing plants.

Levy followed round pavers to the next site. The Spring Garden was an ovoid shape, dotted with small ponds and contained only flowers and ornamental grasses. The Fall Garden included several benches grouped to take advantage of the scenery. Himawari's Garden was the smallest. It contained a solitary table and chair set, with a sundial and birdbath on a cobblestone patio that had all of it's plants in terra cotta pots. The Winter Garden was a bit of a misnomer, as it was a cluster of trees planted in a loose circle with an old hay manger struggling to stay upright in the middle of the grass. Several of the trees were festooned with bird houses and feeders.

Levy could see the front door of the manor house from where she stood. Sighing, she turned and gazed blankly at the bucolic scene before her. Each garden had in fact, not yielded any of the supposed samples from the floral pressings. I really hope Gajeel and Lily are having better luck than me.

At that moment, Gajeel took another step on spongy ground and broke through the swamp mud crust. The fetid stench made the slayer's stomach threaten to erupt. He cursed as the oozing mud coated his boots past his ankles. The reek was bad enough, but dealing with the snickering exceed was causing Gajeel's blood pressure to increase exponentially.

"Gi he! I told you the ground looked softer over there!" Lily flew out of his partner's reach and tumbled lazily in the air. "Also, in my aerial reconnaissance, I spotted traces of old campfires in the opposite direction."

"You coulda told me that earlier." Gajeel grimaced sourly as he pulled his feet out of the sucking mud. "All this stink is confusing my nose. Jellal could be behind me and I wouldn't be able to distinguish his scent right now."

Lily snorted, "Your ears still work; and now that you've claimed Levy, perhaps your brain can free up some time to think about where Crime Sorciere would pitch camp."

"Pfft. Let's go check out the old campfires. I'd like to get rid of this letter and concentrate on our mission." Gajeel followed Lily heading north, hiking quietly a good twenty minutes before stopping at a broken tree stump to scrape the swamp muck off his boots.

"We're getting close a likely campsite. Can you smell anything?" Without waiting for an answer, Lily flew higher in an effort to spy a glimpse of any of the Crime Sorciere members before they could take cover.

Drawing air in through his nose and out his mouth, Gajeel stood still. He made small steps and turned in a circle, tasting the air as best he could. His ears could identify several woodland creatures about their business; scores of birds singing, and a pair of rabbits enthusiastically mating. Tuning out the fauna, Gajeel froze in place, sorting the olfactory and auditory clues. Five long minutes he stood immobile, all noises and the breeze brought nothing out of the ordinary. The slayer continued walking and found a long dead fire pit. The undergrowth of the clearing showed no signs of recent habitation; no broken branches, flattened bushes or threads caught on thorns.

Lily fluttered down and landed on the largest rock ringing the old fire bed. "If we keep heading north, there's a ravine that would be suitable as a hide-out."

Grunting in affirmation, Gajeel strode towards the next likely target. A half hour later, both mages were encouraged by signs of habitation. Whether created by humans or animals, there was a faint trail snaking between trees that Lily and Gajeel were able to use. Even more telling, was the scarcity of fallen tree branches. The path the two wizards tread upon began to widen and slope downward.

"Lily, fly reconnaissance. I smell ashes from a fire and several people."

"Can you recognize any scent signatures?"

"Nope, there's too much lingering stench from that mud on my boots and fresh stink mingling with these unknown personages." Gajeel frowned, and consulted his map. "There's gotta be another patch of swamp further north. Don't make contact, observe and report."

Grinning at the prospect of potential battle, Lily launched himself skyward. Quietly, he flew from tree to tree, keeping hidden in the high branches. Lily found a sturdy branch to sit on and observe the eight people milling around the center of the ravine. Off to one side was the fire pit, circled with greasy stones. Three large, muscled men wearing dirty cloaks were tossing dice and arguing over bets.

A sharp strident voice raised itself with displeasure. The group gambling stopped to watch as a glaring woman crossed her arms and stood toe-to-toe with a man over a head taller. "You don't get a say in the decision now."

Her opponent smiled without humour. "This is still my gang. It's my decision. I'm back now and relieve you of command."


	30. Making Strides

He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at her. "I've been gone only two days. What could have happened in such a short time?"

Her face tight and pinched, she glowered, "Another gang was trying to move in our territory. We had to do something - I've been second in command a long time; if you didn't like how I think, you would've replaced me a long time ago."

His expression softening, the man gave a slight nod. "That's true."

The tension slipped out of the three burly men at the fire pit, and they turned their attention back to gambling. If the leader and second in command had seriously intending on fighting, they would have already exchanged blows. The three other figures idling around the clearing had meandered towards the dice action and joined in. Two were obvious females even under concealing cloaks and the other was a hooded and masked man.

Lily clung tighter to the tree in sudden recognition. I think I've found Crime Sorciere. He inhaled deeply and tried to identify each scent trail. Carefully, he remained still and watched and strained to listen to the conversation between the gang leader and his second in command.

Her voice now lowered and less angry, the woman identified as the second in command let loose with a gusting sigh. "Galen, the northern band has been seen cutting across our trails to the town. I don't know about you, but we can't let that go without a challenge. We need to absorb them or drive them off."

"We've just taken in three new members. They haven't proven themselves as yet." Galen placed a large hand on the female's shoulder as he turned to observe the three fresh recruits throwing dice. "Let's send the newbies to the north gang with a message; they can join us or die." He curled his lips in an ugly smile, "Tricia, I'm going to my tent, inform our lucky participants I will see them in an hour. I will give them their orders, but until then, I need to relax." His eyes softened a smidgen, "You can join me in ten minutes."

Tricia snapped off a sloppy salute, "I hear and obey." She whirled away and marched over to the group gambling. Galen watched his lieutenant for a scant moment, then turned and made his way over to the camp showers. After a brief ablution session, Galen entered his tent.

Lily couldn't see the leader's tent from his perch, but he could see the three figures he'd tentatively identified as Crime Sorciere. Deciding to slip away and make his report, he climbed higher in the tree. At the topmost portion of the tree, he launched himself and flew north then circled his way back to Gajeel.

The slayer was sitting cross-legged in front of a tree, his back slumped against the trunk, drumming his fingers on his knees. "Whaddaya got to tell me?"

"Let's move a bit further out, and I'll make my report."

 

Levy stood up and rubbed her lower back. All the chairs in the Collection room were very nicely padded, but hours and hours spent not moving was numbing her posterior. The late Mr. Tildenson's journal has chapters devoted to each member of his family; his children, first wife and Hitomi. He wrote down his memories and mentions his love of puzzles in the first chapter. What I need to figure out is why the floral art identifies as being harvested from each garden - but isn't. There's another clue hidden in the art, the garden or both...

Carefully, Levy shut the journal and pace around the Collection room, staring at each of the art pieces in turn. In particular, she lingered over the bottom right corner which claimed where the sample was harvested from. Sighing she made another round of the room, looking all over each framed and matted work of art. No signatures, false information on locations, artist print markings on lower left corners... There's something off about that... These aren't even prints, why would there be print run numbers?

"I can't believe I missed that!" Levy threw up her arms and gave herself a face palm. Ah, perhaps Mr. Tildenson was just going easy on his family, he would've wanted them to find his last will and testament, not to mention the family treasure. I suppose my eye skipped over the print run numbers because there shouldn't be any - and they're written pretty small, yah, I'm going with that explanation. Now that I see that, all the artwork has the same number markings. And with decimals in them?

Levy ran back to the table and scooped up her notebook and returned to the frame over the fireplace. She wrote down the weird numbers: 34.564796/135.527512, sat back down and closed her eyes to aid her concentration.

 

Lily lead Gajeel in a circuitous route, back in a southerly direction and then beginning to loop north-west. Twenty minutes later, the exceed found a fallen tree to straddle and made himself comfortable. "Okay, sit down and listen up."

Gajeel made a show of looking around the deserted stretch of forest and slowly sat down next to his exceed. "Go ahead and amaze me."

"I think we've found Crime Sorciere." Lily grinned at his partner. "I overheard the leader say they've taken in three new recruits. Two are obvious females and the other was going around masked and hooded."

"Lily, sorry to break it to yah, but there's plenty of criminals that don't want to be recognized." Gajeel crossed his arms. "Got any real proof?"

"Something almost just as good. I happen to know where these suspects will be." Smug, Lily mimicked his partner and crossed his arms, daring Gajeel with his eyes to prove him wrong. "The leader of these thugs is going to have the three new people issue another gang with an ultimatum."

"Huh, that might be useful intelligence. Where and when?"

"Somewhere north of here, and they will get their instructions within the hour."

"Fuck, we gotta get moving to scope out the terrain ahead of time!" Gajeel scrambled off the fallen tree and headed in a northerly direction.

"Calm yourself man!" Lily flew over Gajeel. "I purposefully led you towards where I suspect they'll end up. This ain't my first rodeo."

Gajeel mumbled, "I kinda miss Levy." He continued hiking along, his huge strides eating up the terrain.

"How long has it been? Not even four hours? Must be a record of some kind, the big bad slayer misses his woman." Lily snickered and flew higher, keeping an eye on his partner in case he needed to dodge an iron pole. "Sorry man, but I've been saving up quite a bit of teasing, and what better time to give you the business when your better half isn't around?"

"Yah," Gajeel grumbled in agreement. "She's my better half."

Lily fluttered lower and perched on his partner's shoulder. "Don't be gloomy, I'm sure she's missing you too."

"I ain't worried about that, I just feel like I'm not helping enough with solving the journal puzzle." Feeling a bit morose, Gajeel rubbed his knuckles against his cheek. "How long will she want to stick with me if all I am is the muscle?"

Lily slapped the slayer on the back of his skull. "Don't be stupid. You gave her the first clue to the mystery - those samples don't come from where the art says they do. You know Levy doesn't just see you as a some dumb boy toy. I was watching her watch you before you started watching her!"

A cheesy grin spread over his face. Gajeel tried to rein it in, but couldn't help letting his happiness out with an extra strut to his stride as he continued hiking towards the potential northern rendezvous spot. The slayer stopped two separate times to allow Lily to fly overhead and pinpoint their exact location on his map and correct their course. Forty minutes later, the two mages found a natural clearing with marks of recent occupation.

Gajeel filled his lungs and tasted the current scent markings. "There's been quite a flow of people through here - about a dozen distinct signatures. Let's find a place to conceal ourselves and come up with a plan."

 

Levy found herself humming as she pondered the odd decimals. Something looks familiar, but what? Why write the numbers like that? Why not over there...here or there... here or there... something about location, I know the location is part of the answer.

Deciding to drop that idea for now, Levy allowed her thoughts to drift to Gajeel. I wonder where he's gotten to. Hell, I don't have to wonder - I can figure out his general location on one of these maps. She jumped out of her seat and rummaged amongst the various geography tomes to find a local atlas. Flipping through the pages, Levy found a wonderfully executed map of the manor and surrounding area. She visualized the spot Lily and Gajeel had departed from and traced the northerly path they had taken.

She found herself grinning foolishly. Huh, I think I'm kinda missing him already. I'm not lonely exactly, but I wish I could just reassure myself last night wasn't just a fluke - I'd appreciate a chance to do it all over again. Her slender fingers caressed the edges of the pages in an absent minded fashion. Idly she traced the outer contour of the map and noticed the long strings of numbers beside each quadrant. Sudden recognition sparked and Levy lunged across the table to snatch up her note book. Comparing the long string of decimalized numbers hand written with the published map numbers took only a few seconds and then Levy knew why they had looked familiar.

The print run numbers are actually map co-ordinates! And it's close by! I can find it myself and surprise the team with fait accompli! Refilled with excitement, Levy grabbed the atlas and flipped the page to find an even better map, showing an unprecedented level of detail and the exact co-ordinates listed. A frown marring her brow, Levy shut the atlas and examined the cover and rolled her eyes as she spied the publisher name: Tildenson. For shit's sake, how many obvious things am I gonna overlook? I feel almost stupid. I wouldn't have missed that if I were working with Team Shadow Gear.

Letting out a big sigh, Levy determined the exact point on the map to explore and was astounded to learn the center of the Summer Garden was her target. Making another intuitive leap, the solid script mage slapped her forehead. From one obvious clue to the next, the co-ordinates written out for all to see, a map self-published and the rock cairn with a message 'a beginning, a start' - freaking hell!

Anxious to get to the garden and prove her ideas, Levy hastily tucked the journal and her notebook into her satchel and dashed out of the Collection room. She sprinted past the servants going about their business, waving to Mary and nodding at the other maids. I can feel it, I'm making the first real big break in this case!


	31. Puzzle Solved

In the Summer Garden, Levy made a bee-line for the rock cairn. She removed her satchel and carefully examined the bronze plaque, tugging on it and then inspecting the ground at the base of the monument. Think, think... Mr. Tildenson was getting old and infirm, would he dig a hole and bury papers that could rot? Not without help, so the best place is inside the cairn - and the best way to get inside that is using a crow-bar.

Nodding resolutely, Levy used her solid script magic and conjured a serviceable pry-bar. She walked around the pile of rocks one more time, deciding to prod rocks at various spots and angles. As she tested the edge of the bronze caption, she felt a tiny shift and attacked the plaque harder. Levy bore down with her arms and added the strength of her legs and with a crumble of mortar and dust, the sign popped off the cairn.

Excitedly, Levy peered into the modest sized hole and withdrew with shaking fingers a unassuming metal studded chest. It was moderately heavy and something thudded and rustled inside when she lightly shook it. Levy sat cross-legged on top of the thick ground cover and lifted the lid of the chest. Beside a leather bound book was a rolled parchment, sealed with wax and an important looking seal.

I've found the last will and testament to the Tildenson estate and another book. With trembling fingers, Levy lifted the book and smiled. Another self-published book by Mr. Tildenson. Inside on the fly-leaf, in willowy handwriting was scrawled a dedication: My family, I hope this wasn't too hard to figure out. I love you all and hope your loves aren't too hard to figure out. I placed my last memento here where things are 'first' - if you figured this out, you'll know where our family 'treasure' is 'last'.

Levy held the book closer and flipped the next page over. Three sealed envelopes laid waiting, each adorned with a single name; one for Hitomi, Ambrose and Hibiki. Blinking back tears, Levy carefully replaced the book into the chest and closed its lid. She stood up and packed the chest into her satchel with the pry bar and began to walk purposefully to the next garden.

 

Up midway of a sturdy tree, Gajeel and Lily sat and waited. During the first hour, Lily left every fifteen minutes to scout the area. Gajeel meditated, listening deeply to the forest and animals in the region. Soon after Lily returned from his fourth foray, the slayer grunted and spoke, "It'll be soon. The animals have cleared out for the most part."

Lily grinned at his partner, his paws were itching for a fight. The battle gleam in his eyes was reflected in the slayer's own red orbs. "After delivering the mail, you gonna rush over to Levy and let her know how much you missed her? Gi hihi!" The exceed sidestepped down the branch and gave Gajeel a smug look. "Tch, don't start making noise now, we're about to find Jellal and company."

Dragging a hand through his spiky black hair, Gajeel favoured Lily with a sour grimace. "How like you to start something when I can't retaliate."

A broad grin on his face, Lily replied, "You love it. Any mention of Levy perks you up and puts a wonderful sappy look on your ugly face."

Two spots of colour appeared on Gajeel's cheeks, "Shuddup about Levy. I need to listen so's we can ..." His words trailed away and he when he resumed speaking it was in a harsh whisper. "It's show time."

 

Levy walked through each garden, forcing herself not to hurry. She felt the weight of the box in her satchel and smiled. Can't say I'm super happy - it wasn't very hard or involved to solve this. No secret passages in the journal, just misdirection and an obvious, glaring clue I totally overlooked because I thought it would be tremendously difficult.

Standing in front of the Winter Garden, Levy felt her excitement rise again. With new eyes she scanned the circle of trees and looked for anything that could be considered an anomaly. Mmmm, would he put something in a bird feeder? Probably not, if someone is refilling it, they might find the family treasure on accident. Besides, these feeders aren't very large, what sort of treasure would fit? Same goes for a bird house, plus you'd have to disturb a nest.

Levy walked around each tree, trailing her hand over the rough bark on their trunks. Gradually she gravitated to the centre of the ring of trees and stood in front of the rickety manger. It was empty but when she peered into it, the bottom boards stood out as newer than the faded and bleached body of the wooden structure. He was making it easier for his family to find this - so here goes nothing!

Carefully Levy used the tip of the pry bar and levered the floor of the hay manger up and revealed a waxed paper wrapped object. It was roughly sketchbook sized and not as stiff as a bound book. Deciding to leave it wrapped, Levy replaced the piece of wood from the manger and slipped the Tildenson family treasure into her satchel.

She grunted as she felt the weight of her bag settle over her shoulder, but smiled, I found it! And it all started from Gajeel's input. We do make a good team. Levy turned and proudly walked towards the Tildenson manor house.

 

In the northern forested area of the swamp, three cloaked figures held a three-way argument. Two were female and the male figure wore a mask as well as sporting a hood. They walked three abreast at times, then single file and at times two members side by side with the third either behind or in front - but continuing the discussion. Their bickering started as soon as they were out of hearing range of the bandit camp and flared hot with dissention.

"God Jellal! All me and Ultear are saying, is that you should go and visit Erza before you get completely covered with cobwebs down there." Meredy smirked as her jab made the blue haired man blush and Ultear laughed so hard she clutched her stomach.

"I don't know where you picked up such ideas." Jellal settled his hands on his hips and shook his head. "I'm fine, Erza would never..." He cut himself off, blushing a deeper shade of red to rival his love's hair shade.

Ultear smirked, "Relax, Erza would definitely put you out of your misery."

Meredy agreed quickly, "For sure! Before you go all crazy, remember not everything is your fault. You can't fix everything, working together to fight against injustice is what Crime Sorciere is about."

"You make it sound like we're superheroes." Jellal grimaced, "Can we concentrate on this mission for Galen? We're very close to having his full trust."

Meredy giggled, "I'm having more fun teasing you about your lady love. Are you still carrying around that picture of her in that set of camouflage pyjamas?"

"Um...and so what if I am?"

Gajeel took advantage of their pause in squabbling to drop down out of the tree. Sure they would recognize him, he held his hands out palms up showing they were empty. "You're in luck! I've got a special delivery from a special someone. Gi hihi!"

The trio relaxed from their battle stances as soon as they recognized Gajeel. Lily swooped down and landed on his slayer's shoulder. "Has anyone ever said you look just like Mystogan?"

Laughter burst out of Ultear first and spread to each person. She wiped tears from her eyes and spoke to Jellal. "Maybe you should try the concealing make-up we bought. I keep telling you to lose the mask - it's damn noticeable."

Trying to regain his dignity, Jellal crossed his arms and took a step forward. "A special delivery?"

"Yup, I've got urgent business to attend to, but I've been instructed to play mailman for Erza."

"Really?" Jellal's face was covered, but his voice betrayed his extreme excitement. "Ah, well...I wouldn't want to delay your urgent business."

Meredy and Ultear elbowed each other to see the boss acting like an eager puppy, practically salivating over the sealed envelope Gajeel presented to him. He clasped it to his chest and whirled away to read it in relative privacy.

Lily and Gajeel shrugged at each other and looked at the two female mages. Meredy gave them a bright smile and addressed the both of them. "So, you wanna wait for our fearless leader to pen a reply?"

Ultear nodded, "I'm sure he'd appreciate that - and furthermore, so would Erza. She'd be in your debt for sure."

Gajeel slowly nodded and watched Ultear rummage in her cloak for a pen and paper. Jellal had leaned with his back against a tree and slowly slid down as he read and re-read Erza's letter. The women were happy for Jellal and the boys felt faintly embarrassed to witness the 'most-wanted villain' in all of Fiore turn into a marshmallow.

Clucking her tongue, Ultear gave the pen and paper to Jellal and said, "Write her back. We don't know when you'll get this chance again."

Even from ten feet away, the rest of the group could tell the powerful mage was incandescently happy. He grinned as he scrawled an extensive reply, signing it with a flourish and sealing it into a new envelope also fished out of Ultear's cape. Jellal rose to his feet and approached Gajeel.

"Thank you very much." Jellal extended the new letter to Gajeel and bowed his head.

With a grunt, the slayer stashed it in a pocket and clasped a rough hand to Jellal's shoulder. "Yer welcome, I'd love to stay and chat, but I don't want to. Gi hihi!"

Gajeel snapped off a crisp salute and started hiking back to the Tildenson manor house. Lily floated along behind, waving goodbye to Crime Sorciere.

The preeminent dark guild hunters waited a good fifteen minutes before exploding into another loud fracas. Ultear and Meredy joked with each other suggesting the most ribald things they could think of that Jellal might have written to Erza. He remained calm and serene in the face of their teasing, refusing to divulge what his lady love had confessed to him in her note or the contents of his return missive. The only response he was willing to give was a blinding smile.

 

"Can you scout up ahead again?" Gajeel was loping at a steady pace, anxious to return to the manor and his mate.

"Let me fly you if you're in such a hurry."

"I gotta burn off some energy."

"Stubborn slayer!" Lily sailed up high and surveyed the lay of the land. Returning, he dove steeply and zoomed around Gajeel. "We're almost there. Another five minutes if we veer off a little to the south-west - you'll find Levy in the Winter Garden.

Putting on a burst of speed Gajeel ran faster. He burst out of the woods as Levy emerged from the Winter Garden. Lily flew over to the young woman without Gajeel needing to ask. The slayer grinned and returned to his lope, cooling down from his run. The exceed flew loops around the bluenette and accepted the satchel from her. Levy turned and ran into her mate's arms.


	32. Location, Location, Location

Levy laid her head against Gajeel's hard chest. His arms cradled her form gently even as he hoisted her higher, her feet dangling. She smiled to hear his heart rate thump rapidly as she snaked her arms around his neck. Levy looked up to see his wine dark eyes staring.

The softest brush of his lips against hers made Levy sigh. A low growl built in the slayer's throat, his hands migrated to Levy's posterior and supported her against his body. Her eyes drifted shut as she returned his kiss with ardour. Levy slanted her mouth over his lips, licking the seam of his lips and being granted entry. The need for air finally drew them apart.

With a smirk Gajeel slid Levy down his torso. "Missed you too, Shrimp."

The blue haired young woman blushed hotly, "I solved the puzzle and it's because of you."

Lily came flying over with the satchel once his two humans ceased their tonsil hockey. "You say you've solved the puzzle? All by yourself?"

"No, I'd have to say Gajeel was instrumental." Levy held out her hands to the exceed and accepted the satchel. She slung the strap over her shoulder and rummaged inside. Pulling out the chest she smiled wider and turned to her slayer partner. "I was wondering exactly where you were. Location was the clue that gave me the answer."

Blankly looking at the solid script mage, Gajeel frowned lightly. "Location?"

"Location." Levy nodded vigorously, "I knew the general direction you headed out in, and factoring the time elapsed, I knew roughly where you would be. There was a map book in the collection room, when flipping through, I noticed the print numbers on the floral art matched some of the map coordinates." Levy's voice got louder and more excited as she recalled her epiphany. "If I hadn't been curious about your location..." Levy let her voice trail away, a little embarrassed she couldn't go more than a few hours without thinking about Gajeel.

She opened the chest and both Lily and Gajeel crowded her to better see the contents. Levy regained her poise, "The wax sealed scroll must be the last will and testament, and this book has letters to his family. I found another journal sized package inside the winter garden hay manger. The Tildenson family treasure."

"Good work Levy!" Lily smiled and patted the blunette on the shoulder. "Amazing!"

Gajeel echoed his exceed, "Good work Levy!" He grinned at his mate, who began to fidget under his regard. His smile broadened, "So, we're done with this mission - this means we can bow out on attending the costume party, huh?"

Lily snickered as Levy rolled her eyes and thrust the chest back into the satchel. She started marching towards the manor, her arms swinging to and fro with intent. Levy looked back over her shoulder, "Oh, we're attending the party. I can't wait to see you all dolled up."

The slayer rushed after Levy. "But you solved the puzzle, you found the will and treasure. We're done." The petite bluenette deigned to answer her dragon slayer and kept walking to the manor house.

"Gajeel, women love parties." Lily flew over and landed on the saturnine man's shoulder. "Besides, wouldn't you like to show her a good time?"

Gajeel stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to look over at Lily. He cocked one eyebrow up and smirked.

"Oh! Not like that!" Lily gave his partner a disapproving look. "Women like dressing up and dancing." He jumped and used his wings to hover in front of Gajeel. "You can show her your good time later. Gi hihi!" The exceed zipped over to Levy who had made it all the way over to the front door already.

Sighing with resignation, Gajeel resumed plodding to the manor house. Externally he appeared stoic, but he was pleased Levy had missed him as much as he had missed her.

Five minutes was enough time for Levy to break the news to the Tildenson family members. Once Gajeel entered the house he was approached by Mary and instructed to join the family in the drawing room. He passed through the same maze of rooms and corridors his team had navigated for the first time, not so long ago. He entered the gaudy room and sat down next to Levy.

A cloth had been placed over the table taking pride of place in the room, and on it was the open chest, the will, the letters, book and still wrapped journal-sized package. Ambrose and Hibiki were sitting and conversing in low tones. Each brother kept looking over at the last objects their father left behind, anxious and yet hesitant to handle those items.

"What're we here for?" Gajeel asked Levy, "It's not like we're family, this is a private matter."

"Both Ambrose and Hibiki insisted," Levy said. Her small face was sombre. "Perhaps Hitomi will want details on how we solved the puzzle."

"Father has been gone over six months, this is a second good-bye. I'm positive hearing his last puzzle explained will ease step-mother's heart." Ambrose smiled sadly at the mages and then turned to address his older brother, "What's taking Hitomi so long? Maybe I should go and fetch her."

"She's probably just fixing her makeup. She'll be here soon."

"Why do you have to talk about her like that?" Ambrose frowned and clenched one hand into a fist. "Hitomi wasn't always so concerned over appearances."

Shaking his head slowly, Hibiki tried again. "I didn't mean it like that, she's very likely cried a bit. She's a proud woman and won't want to look less than her best in front of others."

"We're not just 'others'. We grew up with her too. I don't care what she looks like - I care how she feels," Ambrose replied testily.

"I feel fine." Hitomi entered the room with her spine ramrod straight. Her deep green eyes shuttered and her face devoid of emotion. The heavy silk skirt of her dress trailed behind her and she perfunctorily swept it out of her way as she sat down at the table. She reached out to touch the chest and drew her fingers back. Aware of her audience, Hitomi forced a regal smile and gently closed the lid of the chest.

In as casual tone as she could muster, she spoke. "This was something of a personal joke between my late husband and myself. I called it my hope chest. I had wondered where it had gotten to."

"If we're intruding, we can leave." Levy sat clutching her satchel, "I cannot help but feel this is a family gathering." Looking into Hitomi's face, Levy faltered and bit her lips, falling silent.

"Levy's right, we ain't gotta be here if you don't want us." Gajeel slung his arm around Levy and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "You can get the details of how she figured out the puzzle after."

"Speaking as the titular head of this family, until the will reveals otherwise, I welcome your presence." Hitomi swept her gaze over her two step-sons, an unfathomable look in her eyes. "It has been both a long and short time of living as a widow."

She pursed her lips and picked up the rolled parchment. She carefully unfurled it and read it silently. An awkward ten minutes passed before her shoulders began to shudder and Hitomi bowed her head trying to regain her composure. "I should let Hibiki as his father's true heir to read this."


	33. The Show Must Go On

Hitomi passed the scroll over to her oldest step-son, her face carefully impassive. Hibiki sped through the legal jargon and handed it off to his brother. He stood up and patted his step-mother awkwardly on the shoulder. "There will always be a home for you here. You're always going to be a part of our lives. After all, you're the hard worker that organizes the charity drives. I certainly couldn't handle being in charge of that." He gave a feeble chuckle, "This Saturday we will host the best charity costume ball this town has ever seen." He then reached over and picked up the envelopes, fanning them to read the names inked in bold cursive.

With a small sigh he slipped his into the depths of a coat pocket and silently placed Hitomi's in front of her. She didn't react and made no move to pick it up. Ambrose finished reading the will and held out his hand to receive his missive and tucked it away, tight lipped and sombre.

The three mages sat and watched Hibiki carefully unwrap the parcel which contained the Tildenson family treasure. "Ah, do you remember this?" He lifted the item out of the paper and showed it to his brother. "Look, it automatically opens to Mother's favourite piano piece."

"Please excuse me. Gajeel, Levy and Lily." Hitomi paused and took a steadying breath, "I believe I would like to hear about how you solved the puzzle sometime tomorrow." Their looks of sympathy were threatening to break her walls of defence. "As you heard, my late husband's heir has reminded us of the costume party. The show must go on." She stood up and lifted her chin, "I have some things I must think over."

Hitomi reached out slowly to pick up her letter. Ignoring she had an audience, she traced the spidery writing with one finger, a soft smile playing on her lips. Gradually it died and Hitomi allowed some of her misery to surface. She bit her lip, clutched the missive to her midriff and whirled away out of the room.

"Wait!" Ambrose pushed his brother out of the way and chased after his step-mother.

Still holding the music book, Hibiki shrugged and softly smiled. "And quite the show is going on. I truly thought Hitomi would not get as emotional as that. She did love father, but it's just as true she was never in love with him."

His voice gruff, Gajeel spoke. "We're not needed here right now. We'll be down for dinner, but until then - don't waste your time gettin' our attention." He stood up and tugged Levy after him, taking her satchel and slinging it over his shoulder.

"I'll see you guys when I see you." Lily called out to the retreating backs of his partners. He stood on the edge of the couch and surveyed the drawing room. The exceed sat his paws on his hips and spoke softly, "Wow, that was some scene. It really should not have been a big shock that you'd be your father's heir, eh?"

Drifting in his own thoughts, Hibiki was tracing the flowing notes of the music his parents had taught him to play. "Uh, well, I knew I would most likely be given the farm." He paused and ordered his thoughts. "I also received a disproportionate amount of the bank account - I never expected that. Ambrose and Hitomi get a small stipend..." Hibiki shook his head and sat down in his chair.

"Sorry, it's not any of my business, you just look like you need a friend." Lily flew over and gestured to the music book. "So this is the family treasure?"

"Yes, I'd have to say so. Perhaps not the monetary item most people would assume to be important, but a source of many happy family hours." Hibiki flipped to the beginning of the book and smiled. "This is the first piano piece me and my brother learned." He pointed to the dog-eared corner, "That's my brother's habit. I can't abide treating books like that."

"Levy can't stand that either. She says it's a crime that should be punishable by library fines." The exceed hefted the book that had been the guardian of the letters. "What's this?"

Hibiki frowned thoughtfully, "Another of father's self published books. There's quite a few scattered around the house. I suppose I should read it."

With a nod, Lily handed the leather bound tome to Hibiki. "I'll leave you alone now."

Already distracted by the book, the sandy haired man waved goodbye to the exceed and began to read.

In the kitchen Lily found Mary filling a tray with snack food. She explained she had a notion that Gajeel and Levy would want something to tide them over before dinner. Lily laughed with the cheerful maid, both able to recognize that the couple needed privacy. He sat down at the kitchen table at Mary's insistence that she would feed him too, and perhaps enjoy a little chat.

"I'm making myself some tea, would you like that or prefer kiwi juice?" Mary gathered more of the leftovers from lunch and arranged a plate of food for Lily, placing it in front of him with a warm smile.

"Thanks, I'd love some juice."

"Not a problem!" Mary dispensed the drinks and sat down with her own plate of tea biscuits. "Now, Miss Levy must be very smart to have solved the late master's puzzle so fast!"

Lily took a large sip of his juice and nodded. "Levy is pretty intelligent. She did a lot of research on codes, and checked out maps of the area before we took the train to Tilden."

Mary leaned forward in her chair and said, "It came as no surprise to us servants that Hibiki received the farm." She glanced left and right and continued, "We were a bit shocked to see how small an allowance was given to Ambrose and Hitomi."

"Wasn't the will only just read now?" Lily took another sip of his drink and took a bite of his sandwich. "Neither Hitomi or Hibiki read any of it out loud."

She chuckled and blushed, "I was the one in charge of setting up the drawing room for the reading of the will. I took the opportunity to read it for myself." Mary's eyes twinkled. "I've served this family for close to thirty years. I've been told to consider myself family - and in my family, we don't stand on ceremony."

"Then did you also read the other book with the letters placed inside?"

"No, not enough time then, but I'm sure I'll get a chance sooner or later. You must think I'm a terrible busy-body."

Lily shrugged and shook his head. "Not really, I'd want to know those exact same things for myself just to know my job was secure."

"Well," Mary dimpled at Lily and continued. "Job security is a pretty big motivator, but I truly care for the boys. Ambrose will have to choose a direction with his life. The late master put in such an odd codicil regarding Hitomi; if she gives up the Tildenson name she receives more of an allowance."

"I've not really had a chance to see much of Hitomi, but that seems like an easy enough thing to do." Lily wiped his mouth free of crumbs and smiled. "Most people would jump at the chance for an easy pay-day."

"I really couldn't hazard a guess as to what she'll do." Mary stacked the empty plates on the table. "I must check with the other servants and continue with the extra work that comes with preparing for the costume ball." She rose from the table and whisked away the dirty dishes.

Lily hopped down from his chair, took a couple of steps and then turned around. "Excuse me, but is there some sort of exercise room?"

Mary clapped her hands, "Goodness, yes! I should have suggested it earlier. I'll get one of the junior servants to show you the way." The older woman walked over to the wall and pressed an intercom button. She spoke briefly to request the presence of any available person. Mary dimpled again as she addressed Lily. "You're going to be at a loose end until dinner is served, eh?"

Nodding, the exceed smiled ruefully. "I don't suppose you have a handy sparring partner hanging around either?"

"There may very well be someone using the gym already - all employees have free run of the equipment in their off duty time." A ginger haired young man entered the kitchen and smiled broadly at both Lily and Mary. She gave the male a hug and turned to the exceed, "You're in luck! I know for a fact Josh here is off duty in fifteen minutes and I've never known him to turn down a tussle."

Lily smiled, "I could use a sparring partner."

"Ma's right, I'm off duty pretty much right now and fighting's always been my go to entertainment." Josh shrugged and began to lead Lily out of the kitchen. "No offence, but I was hoping to get a chance to fight the dragon slayer. Ma taught me to never pick on anyone smaller than myself."

"Your mother is quite the sensible woman - but sparring isn't about being 'picked' on, and you'll be surprised with what I can do with my size. Gi hehe!" Lily continued to laugh as the ginger haired boy looked back at the exceed in confusion.

 

Upstairs Levy and Gajeel were sequestered in the guest room's bath. The bubbles were starting to dissipate on water turned lukewarm. Levy leaned back to relax in her boyfriend's embrace. "Ah, this felt so good! It's weird how sitting still in a chair for hours at a time can stiffen your muscles."

"Only to be expected. Sitting compresses your spine. Too much can cause blood clots and inactivity can..." Gajeel's voice trailed off as Levy giggled and manoeuvred his hands over her breasts.

The petite bluenette gasped with pleasure as the slayer's hands palmed her breasts and pinched her nipples in turn. Leaning her head back, Levy smiled. "All the more reason to get more activity into our afternoon." She gently caressed his wrists, sliding her hands overtop of his and subtly guiding his attentions.

"Gi hehe, I love how you think." The couple spent several more minutes splashing about in the tub just exchanging caresses. Gajeel let out a hiss of air as Levy used her nails to lightly score the outside of his thighs. "I'm done with this if you are."

"Yes." A fervent moan accompanied Levy's answer as Gajeel nuzzled her neck and bit down lightly.

Swiftly, the slayer rose to his feet, taking Levy with him. He chuckled at her involuntary 'eep' of surprise. Gajeel turned the shower on and rinsed away the last traces of soap; whispering into Levy's ear, "I want to taste you, I'm going to lick you all over and feast on your flesh."

"Only if I get to return the favour." Levy blushed as her stomach growled. "We both missed lunch - why am I the only one whose stomach is trying to eat itself?"

"Maybe because I'm a battle hardened warrior who has trained to withstand such petty details." Gajeel smiled broadly as Levy favoured him with a sour look. "Or maybe I heard one of the maids leave us a tray outside the door ten minutes ago and any second now you're going to hear my stomach growl too."

He reached over and lifted a towel to begin drying Levy's back, he rubbed the towel down further and stopped. Gajeel laughed as Levy snatched the towel from his hands and dried her front. "I was just admiring your butt. It seems a crime to have to cover that up."

From under the towel as she dried her hair, Levy responded. "And it's a great pity to cover up yours."

"Thanks, gi hehe!" Gajeel snagged another towel on his way to the bedroom door and wrapped it snug around his hips. He listened briefly at the door, opened it and retrieved the serving tray. He closed the door with one foot and brought the food over to the nightstand.

Levy strode nude out of the bathroom to find Gajeel motionless on the bed. Memories sparked and the solid script mage grinned as she recalled where she'd witnessed this particular pose. He was on his side, facing away from her. His head was supported by his left palm, his fingers threaded into his mane of hair. The right elbow pointed up and the attending hand lightly clasped his waist, mostly his thumb and palm visible. Spiky midnight tresses trailed artfully along the bed and his left leg was straight, the right one bent, that foot trailing behind his left.

The pose was one of casual indifference. Every aspect was recreated from the Wedding dress 'battle' of the Grand Magic Games in perfect detail, except for the inescapable fact Gajeel was gloriously unclothed.

Realizing this was almost sure to be a once in a lifetime chance, Levy marshalled her magic. "Solid script photograph!" Expecting her mate to be taken aback with the unplanned nude photo, Levy took a step back and began formulating an excuse.

Slowly he glanced over his shoulder and gave Levy a smouldering look. "I don't mind at all, I'm more than willing to pose for anything you have in mind."

"Really?" Levy blinked rapidly and grinned tentatively. "What if I wanted a painting?"

The slayer rolled over to talk easier with his woman. "As a gesture of mercy to Reedus I suppose I'd wear boxers." He chortled once Levy broke into a wide smile. "Let me show you how much I missed you."


	34. Hunger

"I can see you've been missing me." Levy fluttered her eyelashes, pointed to his crotch and smiled winsomely at her mate, walking up him and pressing a brief kiss to his forehead.

Gajeel smirked until he realized Levy was more interested in assuaging her hunger for food than his body. The petite young woman sat on the corner of the bed and lifted the dome off the tray. Gajeel manoeuvred himself to sit behind Levy with his legs nudging the sides of her thighs.

"Why don't you feed me?"

Levy felt the breath from his words skim down her neck. She picked up a piece of cheese and added a cracker. Leaning back she twisted and reached over to present the tidbit to her slayer. Levy giggled as she pulled it back and consumed it instead. "Maybe after I'm not so hungry."

Letting a 'humph' loose, Gajeel leaned forward and licked the side of Levy's neck. "I guess I'll just have to eat what's within reach."

Levy shivered and let out a moan as Gajeel's fangs scraped a path to under her ear. He darted his tongue out and painted the sensitive skin there with broad strokes of his tongue. "I think you remember what else this tongue is capable of, don't you?" Gajeel next dipped into the shell of Levy's ear, gratified to hear her yelp in excitement. He sub vocalized his pleasure, the rumble in his chest vibrating in tune with Levy's loud pants.

At this point, even though Levy's stomach was protesting, her carnal appetites had been awakened. "I might need to be reminded of what your tongue is capable of," she pushed out the words in a rush, "so go ahead and eat me."

"What a dirty mouth you have my love." The dark haired mage snickered. "It's such a surprise, the things capable of coming out of that sweet mouth. Hot, as the particular piece of anatomy I'd like to put in there."

These words whispered into Levy's ear made her shiver. She squirmed against Gajeel's muscled chest; her voice a breathy sigh, "What's stopping you?"

"I'm just waiting for you to take the lead." Gajeel stroked Levy's upper arms and nipped the side of her neck. "It's not something I'd expect you to do, but if you wanna volunteer? There's no way I'd turn you down. You haven't had a proper opportunity to assuage your curiosity, have you?"

Levy opened her mouth to answer, sighed and bit her lips. She was very much interested in learning how to pleasure her slayer, but an attack of sudden shyness had robbed her of initiative.

"Shrimp, what's wrong?" Gajeel's concerned voice cut into Levy's train of thought. "There isn't anything you can't tell me." He pulled her over and across his body to lay beside him. Gajeel settled Levy's head on his extended arm and smiled gently. "Is this the fierce woman who washed my wedding tackle this morning?"

Encouraged by Levy's giggle, Gajeel continued. "Or do you prefer the term 'member'? I accidentally read one of Juvia's novels and I'd never seen the term used before, especially with the word 'throbbing' in front of it. Almost as bad as 'pulsating', huh?"

"Stop with the descriptors! I'm gonna lose control!" Levy couldn't help but laugh, Gajeel's dry delivery of smutty talk was relaxing her nerves. "I'm fine, I just froze a bit, that's all." Levy blinked and thought for a minute, "How much of this book did you 'accidentally' read?"

One red eye shut in an exaggerated wink. "All of it. I finished the chapter it was opened to and then read it from the beginning." He gave a shrug, "I needed to see how it ended."

Levy smiled and stroked the piercing that made up Gajeel's eyebrow. "I've been waiting and wanting to be intimate with you for a long time. I guess it seems a bit jumbled up that I can shower and walk around naked in front of you and then regress to being shy talking about...sex." Her hand dropped to land on her ribcage. Taking in another gulp of air, Levy pushed on. "Then my mouth pours out filthy talk and then my brain realizes it and ..."

Levy gradually became aware that Gajeel was playing with her nipples. He rubbed the tip with his thumb and pinched, tugging lightly and then releasing, watching it bounce back. First one and then the other, over and over. "Don't mind me, I'm still listening."

"Oddly enough, I'm done listening." Levy nodded resolutely.

"Huh?" The look of confusion was adorable on the slayer's face as Levy pushed him to lay flat.

"I'm ignoring my shy side for now and I'm going to touch and taste your body until you're a screaming mass of dragon slayer." Levy grinned and used both hands to acquaint herself with Gajeel's penis. The petite woman gained knowledge of what made Gajeel vocal - light touches on the skin of his hip followed by the solid drag of her nails. She learned about the ridge of veins on the underside, where stroking and licking could make her hard muscled mountain of a man emit groans and gasps. She peppered kisses low on his stomach, watching him squirm.

He arched his hips off the bed, straining to keep contact with Levy's mouth. The wet warmth finally wrapped around the tip of his erection. Levy teasingly slid up and down in slow increments. Taking the opportunity presenting itself, Levy began kneading Gajeel's glorious buttocks. Lost in exploration, Levy spent long mindless minutes following her own instincts. She licked and sucked at her own pace and whim. Aiming to increase his pleasure, she hummed. In immediate response, his ass cheeks clenched as the vibrations began to fray his control. Carefully, Gajeel disengaged from the wet heaven of Levy's lips.

Levy looked up from her kneeling position, "Was I doing something wrong?"

Gajeel pushed himself upright and onto his own knees. He tucked a curling strand of blue hair behind Levy's ear. "You were doing everything right, but I was getting close to losing control."

"That's what I want," Levy wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb and her eyes brightened in response as Gajeel licked his lips. "I want to be the reason you lose control. I want the thrill of knowing where I can touch you to make you shudder and shake. I want your need for me to overtake every other thought in your head."

Levy draped an arm around her mate's neck and slowly angled her head forward to kiss him. She pressed her hips against his erect length and wriggled. Levy opened Gajeel's mouth to accept her smooth glide of tongue and her other hand crept into his thick mane.

Gajeel grunted in pleasure as his woman tugged on his hair. Levy felt more of the electric current dance in her veins as her slayer began to pant in cadence with each pull on his locks. She pressed harder against his straining body; desperate to merge, craving the overwhelming pleasure together they could create.

In the back of Levy's throat was a whine; thin, thready and needy. Gajeel's answering growl was stoking her passions higher. The tiny hairs that dusted her forearms and the nape of her neck stood at attention. Levy broke their kiss, panting loudly.

"This reminds me of our first picnic Levy." Gajeel continued even as Levy looked perplexed, "You were trying to keep all the good food for yourself even then - you weren't going to share. And here we are and you haven't let me feast on what's most delicious."

"Our first picnic? I did not try to keep all the food for myself! All I've had off the tray is one measly piece of cheese on a cracker!" Levy let a frown furrow her brow, "I offered to let you leave because I thought you'd want to leave."

"You've missed the point woman. Everything that's good to eat isn't necessarily food, gi hehe."

Levy blushed and let Gajeel press her flat against the mattress. Soon she was writhing, clutching the bed sheets and moaning. The slayer slaked his hunger and drove Levy to a loud orgasm. He smirked, moving to cover her body and push inside her velvet heat.

Slow rocking movements became the center of their world. Levy never realized her grip on Gajeel's shoulders had scored crescent moon marks. She was enthralled with the steady thrusts shoving her toward another peak. Gajeel savoured each dig of Levy's nails into his flesh, the pain a counterpoint to the burgeoning pleasure threatening to erupt.

Levy thrashed her head from side to side and moaned as she enjoyed her second orgasm. Gajeel showed no signs of slowing nor speeding up. He kept his pace steady; moving Levy's legs to atop his shoulders, a determined smile showing off his fangs.

"I can't take any more, Gajeel! All of my blood is buzzing and I swear I have a second heartbeat throbbing between my legs!" Levy panted loudly, her throat parched.

"You've got one more to give me," Gajeel sped up his movements. His hands danced over her legs and captured her hips. He savoured the smoothness of her skin, how fragrant her arousal was and how delicious she'd tasted. Faster and faster he plunged into her welcoming channel, he angled his thrusts and panted.

Levy could feel another surge of ecstasy building. Her limbs shook with the force of her joy and she screamed, heedless of any other occupants of the house. Her inner walls clenched tight around her lover, giving the last needed push for Gajeel to embrace his long-delayed orgasm. He couldn't help his saturnine gloat as he savoured their pleasure, then withdrew as he softened.

Replete with bliss, he laid on his side. "You tryin' to make me deaf?" Gajeel smirked, "Damn woman, you've got strong lungs." He snickered as Levy covered her now fiery face with her hands.

She opened her mouth and no words came out, on her second try only a croak emerged. Gajeel patted her back soothingly. Her third attempt was successful. "I can never show my face here again!"

"How's about we just say you saw a rat?"

Exasperated, she lifted her head and Levy narrowed her eyes at Gajeel, frowning. "I have a better idea, I'll tell everyone you were scared by a spider." Her stomach growled and she pushed herself up, moving over to the neglected food tray.

"S'okay." Gajeel grinned, "Share and I'll tell everyone anything you want."

"Let's just eat." Levy shifted the tray to the bed and both mages devoured every scrap of food. Full and drowsy, they lay entwined in bed. Levy was using a brawny arm as her pillow and had one of her legs wrapped around one of his.

A knock at the door startled both mages awake. "Dinner will be served in half an hour."

Gajeel smiled at Levy, "Dinner won't be able to top the snack you gave me."


	35. Leisure Time

Blushing, Levy struggled into an upright position and lightly smacked his arm. "If anybody mentions any noises we made, I am so blaming you."

Puffing his chest out, Gajeel grinned. "I know, I made you lose control - and I'm man enough to take credit where credit is due." He gained his feet in one fluid move and took hold of Levy's hand. "A quick shower will settle you down."

Afterwards, Levy and Gajeel made their way downstairs. A large number of servants were still on duty, rushing here and there prepping for the costume ball. Gajeel offered his arm to his mate as they entered the dining room. Lily was already seated, conversing with an excited footman.

Lily broke off from his conversation to smirk and nod to his partners. "I'd say look who the exceed dragged in, but I've gotten here first."

"Oh, man! I bet you could've too!" The stout footman smiled. "I've never seen Josh been put on the ropes so fast before."

Comprehending the looks of confusion from the two mages, Lily explained how he'd spent his time in the gymnasium after the Tildenson family drama in the drawing room.

Another footman glided into the room, this one was a little younger and bore a striking resemblance to the first. "Don't hog all of his attention Perry! There's three days before the costume party, you're not the only one who wants to spar."

Hitomi entered the room dressed in a scandalously low cut gown and carrying an ornate plumed fan. She sashayed to the head of the table, hesitated and kept going. She picked the next chair over and allowed Perry to help seat her. Keeping a serene expression, Hitomi smiled to each of her guests. Widening her smile, Hitomi addressed Lily. "I hear you caused quite the stir in the exercise room. I would have loved to see that, such a surprise you've been hiding. How astounding, you must be as massive as Mr. Redfox."

Feeling a little uneasy, Lily shrugged. "It's not something I hide. It isn't a secret, it's my true size in Edolas."

Nodding, Levy spoke. "It's just one side to his magic. I guess we're around it so much we don't even really think about it. Don't most people have things they don't share because we think it isn't anything special?"

"Yes, dear step-mother." Ambrose took a seat opposite the now tight-lipped Hitomi. "You are an avid reader and talented in the garden, but do you ever share those tidbits with the people you entertain at parties?"

Hibiki entered the room, followed by yet another footman who was more enthralled with watching Lily than performing his job. The Tildenson heir came to an abrupt stop behind his brother, the preoccupied footman almost walking into him. Forcing a smile, Hibiki sat down in the place of honour and gestured to the wine steward to begin pouring. "Brother, speaking of sharing, do you ever share your skill with the piano outside of our family?"

Ambrose took a large gulp of his wine and pushed it out to be refilled. "No more often than you do. Playing the piano won't keep me in pocket change and I see no need to flaunt what amounts to nothing more than being wealthy enough to be tutored in unnecessary skills."

Looking a bit chagrined, Hibiki forced a smile. "Just three more days until the costume ball. I am sincere in extending accommodations to our guests so they can attend." He sipped from his wine glass, eschewing the water at his other elbow. "Hitomi, were you successful in finding costumes?"

Hitomi glanced at the trio of mages from beneath lowered lashes, "Yes, I rummaged in the attic personally to select the most wonderful and exciting of garments." She stroked her feathered fan, making eye contact with Lily, her smile making Lily want to get up and run from the table.

"Three days? Is there something I could help with?" Levy made a point to smile at both Hitomi and Hibiki. "We've done the job we were contracted for. As much as I want to stay for such lovely entertainment, I don't feel right abusing your hospitality."

"Nonsense!" Ambrose replied before either member of his family could. "We all love having such excellent company." He flashed a quick grin to the trio of mages and took another large draft of his beverage. "You should enjoy some leisure time with your friends. This town has a few notable hotspots and I'd be happy to play tour guide."

"Alas," Hitomi softly said, "I have many details to organize for the charity fete." She licked her lips and rolled her shoulders forward, her gown threatening to disgorge her bosom. "Otherwise, I would so enjoy spending time alone or in pairs with our guests."

"Yes, Hitomi knows much of our town's history and local colour." Hibiki spoke heartily, "We do rely on your supervisory skills rather a lot. You've always been talented." The Tildenson heir was beginning to feel overwhelmed. The way his brother and step-mother were challenging each other at the table was disturbing. Hibiki wasn't certain if they were competing for the mage's attention or each other.

The maids began to serve the meal as Ambrose and Hitomi began listing off places they insisted Levy and Gajeel should visit. Lily looked over at Gajeel and sighed softly. The slayer was starting to become irritated with the eldest and youngest Tildenson family member.

Wishing to calm down the competition, Lily decided to take a chance. "I don't suppose there's a kiwi orchard around here, is there?"

Smiling in triumph, Hitomi rushed to answer Lily before Ambrose could. "Yes, actually there is."

Interjecting with a condescending tone, Ambrose spoke. "It's not a full kiwi orchard, they have other varietals and -"

"Have a full range of vegetables on offer as well," Hitomi finished Ambrose's sentence and flashed icy green daggers at her step-son.

"Gi hehe! That's settled!" Gajeel smirked at Lily and then turned to Levy. "We'll go sight-seeing in the morning and assist with preparations for the party each evening."

Both Levy and Hibiki smiled in relief. Lily nodded, "That's a very good idea. We could act as our own tour guides."

"I insist that I assist," Ambrose leaned forward and gave a tight, insincere smile. "Step-mother must be swamped with last minute details and as the younger, ne'er do well son, it falls to me to provide a service for my family for my keep."

"Don't be foolish!" Hibiki paused and chewed his lip. He stuttered, "I, uh, d-didn't mean it like that sounded! You do plenty for the family."

"I exist, and that's about it." Ambrose replied sourly. "I want to show our esteemed guests around town. If there's one thing I've realized I'm good at, it's showing people a good time." He glared at his brother and then turned his attention to Hitomi who was studiously ignoring him in return.

The rest of the meal passed in similar fashion. Every time the conversation lagged, either Hitomi or Ambrose would mention a local hot spot or tourist trap. Hibiki drank steadily as he watched his family try to out-do each other to try to keep the mages entertained.

Levy put her dessert spoon down with a sigh. "That was delicious! If I keep eating this well, my costume might not fit!"

"Oh my dear!" Hitomi giggled, "You're so slight and delicate, I think it would take three months of such meals to ruin what I've picked out for you."

"I have to admit to being extremely curious what splendid items you've found to clothe us with." Levy moved to the side to allow the maid to remove her plate and smiled her thanks. "Mrs. Tildenson, you have such exquisite taste. I absolutely love the gown you're wearing tonight."

"More like hardly wearing." Ambrose muttered.

Gajeel snorted, which was cut off by Levy's discrete kick to his ankle. Gajeel grunted and rolled his eyes.

Hitomi responded favourably to the flattery. "Thank you so much! Most women with my hair colour wouldn't have the nerve to wear this shade of lavender, but I have the panache to carry it off. I do like your outfit as well, Levy." The older woman sipped from her wine goblet, "Little black dresses will never go out of style."

"Yes, so I've been told before." Levy leaned against Gajeel's thickly muscled arm and cooed, "Of course, Gajeel doesn't care what I wear," she grinned, "or what I don't wear."

"Damn right." Gajeel nodded, "Will there be music again tonight? I might just get used to this fancy entertaining."

The two brothers shared a panicked look before Hitomi smiled sadly. "I'm afraid the instruments have been moved to the ballroom and we have a shift of servants working there from now until the party."

Lily shook his head regretfully, "That's too bad. What else could we do for entertainment?"

Hibiki realized as head of the household it should be his decision and he rose out of his chair to declare, "Why don't we retire to the parlour?" Awkwardly he took hold of Hitomi's arm and acted as her escort. Levy slipped her hand into Gajeel's and watched Ambrose face sour slightly before he pasted on a social smile.

Once ensconced in the parlour, Hitomi took pity on Hibiki and suggested a game of cards. A lively game of euchre ensued, which took the better part of an hour.

"That was more fun than I expected!" Hibiki enthused, "I have work rather early in the morning, so I have plans to breakfast early as well. I'll take my leave now and bid you all good evening."

He stood up and nodded to the ladies of the group, turned and left.

Ambrose pointed at Hitomi. "I'll play a game of chance to be allowed to act as sole tour guide."

Levy protested, "That isn't necessary. Tilden isn't that hard a town to navigate."

Gajeel patted Levy on the hand, "Maybe we could use a tour guide for one day."

Levy slowly nodded. "Yah, I guess that would be nice. Locals always know where the best book stores are anyway. I can always use more books."

Intent on each other, Hitomi and Ambrose locked gazes and stared at each other. Ambrose broke the silence first, "Simple game of high card draw."

Not deigning to answer verbally, Hitomi took the deck and began to shuffle, only stopping as Ambrose held his hand out for the deck. He cut the deck and pulled a card, holding it in his hand as his step-mother picked hers. She smiled and dropped her jack of spades onto the table.

"Well, this is interesting." Ambrose flicked his card down, revealing the jack of hearts. "Best two out of three?"

Feeling vaguely bothered by the competition to play tour guide, Lily decided to level the playing field. "What's the big deal? Can't you each take a turn?"

"Excellent, we'll share our guests' attention. I can spare a few hours tomorrow or the next. When we breakfast tomorrow, we'll hash out the details." Hitomi rose gracefully from her seat, "Good evening, pleasant dreams." She swept out of the room, her silk skirts rustling.

"We've got even numbers again, one more card game?" Lily picked up the deck and began to shuffle aimlessly. Gajeel shrugged noncommittally and the exceed raised his eyes to Ambrose. "You interested?"

"Ah, sure." The youngest Tildenson shrugged, craning his neck to watch his step-mother exit the room. He collected his cards, organizing them. Ambrose could feel the weight of three pairs of eyes on him. "What?"

Both Gajeel and Lily concentrated on their cards and turned away, pretending not to hear their host's irate comment. Levy cleared her throat, "You seem to have an interesting dynamic with your step-mother." She blushed and continued, "Why were you competing with Hitomi to play tour guide?"

"No real reason," Ambrose pretended extreme interest with his cards. "Just something personal that's been a long time coming."

Gajeel snorted, "Heh. Are we gonna play euchre or become best friends?"

The tension was broken and all four of them relaxed to pick up their cards. As play went on, they all started to truly enjoy themselves. After several rounds of game play and a chorus of yawns, it was time to retire.

"Good night, and I'll see you guys in the morning." Ambrose waved and left the parlour.

Lily was the next to stand up from his seat. "You two should take a moonlit walk in one of the gardens before turning in. I'd really like a chance to be sleeping before, um..." Lily smirked, "before you guys turn in."

Levy tried to act like she wasn't embarrassed, but the two spots of colour high on her cheeks betrayed her feelings. "Um, a walk sounds very nice."

"A walk in the fresh air to finish tiring us out." Gajeel thrust his hand out to Levy, "C'mon." He paused long enough for Levy to wrap her fingers around his. Gajeel strode out of the parlour and down the hallway, searching for an exit leading to the gardens.

Outside in the cool night air, Levy stood with her back resting on Gajeel's chest, his hands resting on her shoulders. She spoke softly, "Was it just me or did you think there's something going on between Hitomi and Ambrose?"

Gajeel grunted. "I didn't bring you out here to yak about that woman or her idiot step-son."

"What would you like to talk about then?" Levy patted Gajeel's hand on her right shoulder. "We can talk about anything."

"Er, I wasn't really planning on doing much talkin', Shrimp." The slayer hunched over a bit more and hugged Levy. "I know this awesome star counting game."

Giggling, Levy lightly elbowed her boyfriend. "At any point does this game involve me losing any articles of clothing?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny such allegations." Gajeel answered, "We have to play the game to find out."

Levy turned in her lover's embrace. "We can play any game you want when we get inside our room." She pressed the side of her face against his chest and squeezed him as tight as she could. "Have I told you lately that I'm fond of you?"

"Mmmm, no you haven't."

"Well, I rather like you. You're so kind, letting Ambrose and Hitomi take turns showing us the town."

"Mmph. Lily gave the okay on that - but it's not worth arguing over...unless you wanna do some makin' up. Gi hehe!" Gajeel lifted his girl and swung her around until she pounded her fists on his chest, complaining that she was channelling his motion sickness and if he didn't cease and desist, he would be wearing her partially digested dinner.

The long slide down his body was torture of the sweetest kind for both mages. Levy could feel the hard angles and planes of his muscles. Even having only just been privy to sharing and exploring his body, she wanted to experience more.

Gajeel adored Levy's small, clever hands; so good at finding spots of skin unexpectedly sensitive. She left patches of gooseflesh here and there as she allowed her hands to roam. Concentrating on her exploration, she didn't realize how intent her mate was watching her face as she played.

Under the almost full moon, the two lovers shared slow kisses and teasing touches; fingertips grazing the inside of elbows, the back of the neck and jaw lines. Lights from the mansion flickered on and lit up just over from where the lovers stood.

"Let's take this to our room." Levy broke away and began to drag Gajeel by the hand, towards the house. "I think we can continue to hone our skills in private."

"Gi hehe, I'll always be happy to help you out." Gajeel yelped as Levy pinched his ass, "I've created a monster!"

"You'll see a monster if you don't satisfy me."


	36. Practice Makes Perfect

Gajeel woke to the intense hazel eyes of Levy. She was caressing his cheek and staring intently at his eyebrow piercings. He had to assume that, or else she had an uncommon kinky obsession with his forehead. The sheets rustled as he shifted and rolled to face her fully.

"Molesting me in my sleep now, are you?"

"Oh, you'll know when I'm molesting you," Levy quipped drily, "You're so loud, the neighbours will know too."

Gajeel smirked and pressed a brief kiss against her lips. "That's all your fault - monsters are scary. How can I be expected to stay quiet when you're ravishing me?"

Levy didn't respond with words; instead, she let her fingers sink into his mane of hair to keep him trapped as she used her tongue to great effect in a lingering kiss. Gajeel rumbled his pleasure and grasped Levy's delectable booty in his right hand to press her against his hips. She moaned and snaked her leg over his, gyrating in hopes of getting her newly found itch scratched.

The slayer pulled back slightly and gave Levy a look that would have melted her panties off, had she been wearing any. "It's time to get moving -"

Letting her exasperation colour her voice, Levy interrupted. "That's what I've been trying to do - and I can feel you'd like it too."

"Moving to get ready for breakfast, Shrimp." A brisk knock on their door sounded and Gajeel acknowledged and dismissed the wake-up service. He tried to keep back how amused he was to see Levy's surliness at being thwarted from morning sex. "Didn't you get enough last night?"

"I have years of research to catch up on." Levy punctuated her statement with a sniff and clambered out of bed. "After all, practice makes perfect, don't you think?" She sashayed into the bathroom and peered around the door at Gajeel who was now sitting on the side of the bed, his hands on his knees.

"Oi, sounds like a challenge to me. I ain't never backed down from one of those - prepare yourself woman." Gajeel launched himself from the bed, appearing as a blur to Levy and sped towards her. "You're gonna get it now!"

Excited, Levy squealed and moved to close the door - too late, Gajeel easily kept it open and stepped inside. Giving up on keeping him out, she taunted him. "Promises, promises!"

"Heh, I promise you'll enjoy what I have in mind." Gajeel started the shower and adjusted the temperature and flow to his satisfaction. He pushed the curtain aside and smirked, "after you."

Levy acquiesced silently and began soaping her body. Gajeel stole the washcloth from her and bent down to whisper in her ear, "you want perfect? Then we are going to practice." His fingers massaged her breasts through the wash cloth and soaped a path down her stomach, hesitating over her groin and then detouring to her shapely ass. Levy sighed and clutched Gajeel's buttocks.

Gajeel washed Levy's arms, lingering over the inside of her elbow and lightly tickling her armpit. She wriggled, giggling and reached for her own weapon. Turning, Levy squirted a generous portion of body wash onto another cloth and began searching for Gajeel's ticklish areas.

"Turn about may be fair play, but you did say I needed practice," Gajeel growled, plucked Levy's washcloth from her hands and allowed his to drop as well. He easily lifted his mate into his arms and trapped her back against the shower wall. "You do want to," he drawled the next word, "practice, don't you?"

Levy looked up into Gajeel's dark red eyes and clenched her fingers on his shoulders. She nodded and gave him a beguiling smile as she shifted in his embrace, tightening her legs around his waist. "I'm waiting."

Gajeel pressed his mouth against Levy's, easily drawing a moan from her. Upping the intensity of the kiss, Gajeel joined with his mate. As his tongue explored the wet cavern of Levy's mouth he began thrusting. His fingers came to rest on her hips, holding tight to draw her along his member and then push down. Levy crossed her ankles, unable to move as freely as she wanted, enduring the sweet torture.

Her nails bit deep into his shoulders. Gajeel welcomed Levy's marking, the sting and discomfort a petty hindrance. The wet slap of flesh on flesh accelerated, both mages struggling to keep their voices low. With a slow grind against Gajeel's groin; Levy reached her peak, gasping her pleasure, "Maybe you don't need as much practice as I thought!"

Gajeel kept moving Levy up and down his shaft, hunching over to speak into her ear, "I'm not done enjoying myself just yet." He gusted out a breath and sucked in more air as he pistoned his hips. The rhythmic clenching of Levy's internal muscles pushed the slayer into his own orgasm. Gajeel smirked and allowed Levy to dismount after several minutes of savouring the pinnacle of bliss. "Maybe we could use a practice schedule, gi he he!"

The petite young woman moved on wobbly legs to under the shower head. "Mmmm hmmm." Levy stood placid as Gajeel rinsed her off and lifted her out of the tub and then closed the shower curtain. She stood quietly, her brows starting to furrow. She tilted her head and blinked slowly, "Huh?"

"Do I haffta do everything?" Gajeel poked his head out from behind the shower curtain. "Grab a towel and dry off Shrimp. I need room to wash my hair."

She could hear the smirk in his voice and it snapped her out of the sudden pleasure lethargy. "I'm gonna let that slide, seeing as we don't have enough time for me to discipline you properly." Levy turned and grabbed a towel, beginning to dry off.

Even more amusement flowed from his tone, "I can't wait! Mmmm, discipline - you'd look pretty hot in a cop uniform."

On the other side of the curtain, Levy flushed a brilliant red. "Uh, I'm just gonna throw some clothes on now." She exited the bathroom to the sound of Gajeel's distinct laughter.

 

Walking downstairs to the breakfast room, Levy regained her poise. Gajeel hadn't mentioned anything further about cosplay and Lily hadn't teased either of them about how noisy certain mages were as they showered.

Hitomi, who was seated across from Ambrose, broke off her conversation with him as the servants seated the trio of mages. "Good morning!" She took a sip from her tea cup and bared her teeth in a wide smile. "I hope everyone is well rested for our excursion this morning!"

"I thought I was going to play tour guide first." Ambrose frowned and set his elbows on the table. "I already planned the best spots to visit."

"Don't be absurd, I quite clearly told you I have more time free today." The older woman glared at her step-son. "Be a dear and take your turn tomorrow."

Levy felt like she was at a tennis match, watching Hitomi and then Ambrose lob angry words at each other, disguised under syrup. Gajeel and Lily exchanged a single look, shrugged and allowed the servants to fill their plates.

"It isn't a contest after all." Levy wished she could pull the words back as Hitomi sat even stiffer in her seat and narrowed her eyes at Ambrose. He, in turn crossed his arms and ignored the ice directed at him.

"Fine." The youngest member of the Tildenson family slurped on his beverage and set it back down on the table with a thunk. Ambrose pushed the food on his plate around, and ate slowly as he kept watch on Hitomi.

His step-mother exchanged pleasantries with the mages and ignored her step-son for the most part of breakfast. After the plates were cleared away, she leapt up from her seat and insisted the mages wait for her at the front door of the manor. Not waiting for a response, Hitomi sped away in a swirl of silk.

"A force of nature, like I said before." Ambrose poured himself more tea and gave a perfunctory nod to the mages. "You'd best run off now, she's awful fast when she wants to be."

"Oh, okay." Levy rose from her chair and smiled a bit uncertainly at her host, "This is just so nice of the both of you to act as tour guides."

"C'mon Levy, time's a wastin'." Gajeel held out his hand to his girlfriend smiling at her and then glaring at Ambrose. Hibiki entered the room as the mages left.

Lily rose up on his wings and waved goodbye. Ambrose waved back and poured himself more tea. He looked up to meet the eyes of his brother. "I thought you breakfasted hours ago. Shouldn't you be knee deep in farm work?"

Hibiki shrugged, "I have been working for hours already and I could use a pick me up." He filched a piece of bacon from his younger brother's plate, waving it around to punctuate his words. "Why are you and Hitomi so set on playing tour guide?"

"Maybe I'm not playing - I need to find something to do with my life."

"So you want to be a professional tour guide? There's always room here for you."

"Well, I don't know about that, but I don't wanna mooch anymore." Ambrose smirked at his sibling and snatched back the piece of bacon, fitting the entire piece into his mouth. "I'm ready to work for what I want." He jumped up from his seat and raced out of the room, pausing at the exit to turn around and flip off his brother. "Don't let your face freeze like that, or you'll never find a wife!"

Hibiki closed his mouth with a snap of his teeth. With a start, he came back to himself and chuckled. The Tildenson heir gave himself a fresh cup of tea and piled a plate with food. He nodded to Mary as she entered with two other maids and began cleaning away the repast.

"Your brother has made some interesting decisions lately."

"Yup. There's plenty of work he could do here - but he does not want to be tied to the estate or even this town. Ambrose has always been able to tell me what he doesn't like but he's tight lipped when it comes to everything else. He hasn't been very open with me since we were teen-agers. I suppose if I want to know what's going on, I should've just asked you, Mary." Hibiki smiled as she patted his shoulder in a motherly fashion. "It's funny. Hitomi was our step-mother, but for me you've always been more like a mother."

"I love everyone in this house like family." Mary laughed and put the master's food on a tray, handing it to one of the maids. "Now get out of here so we can clean this up properly."

Hibiki left obediently and Mary watched him leave. Turning to her co-worker, she laughed again. "I've definitely been the mother figure for both of those boys."

 

Levy and Gajeel were seated side by side across from Lily and Hitomi inside of a fine carriage pulled by a matched set of horses. Currently they were moving along at a fast clip towards the outskirts of town. Sunk in misery from his nausea, Gajeel kept his eyes screwed shut even as Levy held his hand and exclaimed over the beauty of the scenery.

Hitomi barely paid any attention to the scenery outside, being more concerned with the ill mage inside the conveyance. "Mr. Redfox, you look quite green. Shall I signal for the driver to slow down?"

The slayer groaned and Levy squeezed Gajeel's hand. "Fast or slow, traveling just doesn't sit well with his stomach. Keep on the speed and at least he'll suffer for not as long." She urged him to lay his head in her lap and that seemed to soothe him.

Lily hid his grin behind a paw, "Mrs. Tildenson, Gajeel will be fine once we exit the carriage."

"Please, today I'm just Hitomi." She fussed with the collar of her shirt and simpered, "Lily, I've decided to start our tour with the kiwi orchard."

"That explains the sensible walking shoes and pants."

Twisting a strand of her deep green hair around a finger, Hitomi nodded. "I only married into money. I grew up working from a young age and I know a fair amount about farming and animal husbandry." She continued even as Gajeel increased the volume of his groaning. "This orchard has three different varietals of kiwifruit. The golden kiwi, red kiwi and silver vine - but I should really wait until we get there."

"Well, I'm fascinated already!" The exceed rubbed his stomach and grinned. "There's always room for more kiwi."

The carriage began to slow and Hitomi lifted a leather satchel out from between the wall and side of the cushion. "We're almost there. This is going to be fun!"

Once the motion sick slayer found his feet on solid ground, he regained his normal colour. The trio of mages moved over to in front of a forty by sixty foot barn, painted a cheery red. It had a discrete sign affixed over the front, proclaiming the name of the farm. Two women, both with dark black hair exited the building as the carriage pulled to a stop.

Hitomi gave the driver his instructions, waved him off and then rejoined her guests. "We'll be taking a walking tour around the orchards and some of the fields, and then picking some kiwis - sound good?"

"Anything is better than being trapped inside a carriage," Gajeel griped. "My breakfast was fighting with last night's dinner to see which would exit first."

Levy glared at her mate, "Sorry he's so rude after you've made such an effort for us. His tummy must be still upset."

"Hey, I don't need anyone to make excuses for my behaviour."

Hitomi's smile dropped a bit at the slayer's bluntness. "No more moving vehicles for you today, Mr. Redfox."

"Gi hehe! There's no excuse for you," Lily sniggered.

"Hello!" The first worker greeted the group, echoed by their co-worker. "Welcome to Fhenwyr Farm. I'm Sharon and this is my daughter Sophia. So nice to see you again...Mrs. Tildenson." On closer inspection; she had fine lines around her eyes, and Levy judged her to be at least thirty years older than her companion. "Go ahead and take your friends anywhere you'd like on the farm - you've been here often enough."

"Ma, don't forget the kiwi jam we made special!" The second worker grinned with zeal as she addressed the mages, "Mrs. Tildenson always steers tourists our way, and this is just a little thank-you - so be sure to end your tour at this barn. Oh! Hold on a minute!" She whirled away and raced into the barn. On her return, she held out two baskets. "Be sure to pick the best you can find!"

"Excellent idea! We'll be sure to do that." Hitomi regained some of her vivacity when Lily raced ahead of the group and turned around with his paws on his hips and chided them for delaying the tour. Levy laughed and grabbed Gajeel's hand, towing the still complaining slayer forward. Hitomi slung her satchel over her neck and settled the strap between her breasts, a basket in each hand.

It took close to an hour to explore the farm and fields. Hitomi proved a font of agricultural information. Lily asked endless questions about his favourite fruit and learned about pollination, pruning and the various cultivars of the kiwi. Gajeel and Levy walked hand in hand behind, listening passively as Hitomi expounded upon the history of horticulture relating to kiwis.

As they made the trek back to the barn through the golden fruit kiwis, Lily remembered the baskets. "Hitomi, care to toss me a container? I bet the best ones are at the top." She nodded and threw it to him. Lily manifested his wings and flew over to the largest of the golden kiwi fruit. After loading that basket he exchanged it for the empty and also filled that one in short order.

Lily manifested his battle size when Hitomi refused to let him carry the now heavy baskets. "You don't have to worry how it looks now, I'm very powerful in this form."

None of the mages noticed the appreciative gleam in Hitomi's eyes, for it was brief and she blanked her features almost immediately. "Y-yes, you look very," she paused and considered her word choice, "powerful. Even more so than Mr. Redfox."

Levy giggled as Gajeel pouted, and everyone laughed as Lily made a show of flexing his biceps.

Inside the barn, a massive selection of vegetables and fruit were laid out in orderly rows. Only the younger woman from before was in attendance. "Was your tour fun?"

Gajeel grunted, Levy nodded and Lily dropped his baskets to ogle the other different kinds of kiwis. "Oh, these look so good too!"

"Sophia - another basket, please?" The girl nodded and handed one to Lily. Hitomi strolled over to her and spoke to her softly. "Please send our usual produce selection with the kiwis over to the manor with who ever is available this afternoon, okay?"

Sophia eagerly agreed, "Sure! And let's not forget the kiwi jam - I made it myself!"

She blushed when Lily responded, "I think I love you."

Gajeel snorted, "He only loves kiwis."

Once outside again, the small group began walking down the path to the main road. The breeze was light and refreshing, and the sun was beginning to gain the true heat of midday.

Levy was blissfully happy; a soothing walk in some of the most beautiful scenery she'd seen in recent times, a difficult mission solved in record time, and her future clearly marked and tied to her taciturn dragon slayer. "Ah, what a wonderful day!"

"It gets better," Hitomi responded. "We're headed to my favourite book store next!" Gajeel and Lily had perked up with her first statement, and then deflated as they heard the rest. "If you're anything like me, an hour won't be near enough time to check out everything." Both males grimaced, but Hitomi only smiled serenely. "Good thing there's a boxing club nearby."

Levy laughed to see her mate revive in excitement. Holding a hand over her mouth she giggled, much to his displeasure. "You boys go have fun and we'll pick you up at this boxing club when we're ready, okay?" Levy turned to Hitomi, "that's what you had planned, right?"

"Yes, you're exactly right." Hitomi tossed her hair and pointed across the street. "Just sign in as guests of the Tildenson manor. Brady's Boxing Club actually belongs to an old friend. You'll be treated like a member of the family."

Gajeel gave a perfunctory kiss on Levy's cheek and dashed across the road with Lily in close pursuit.

Inside the bookstore, Levy and Hitomi separated and began to browse. A good thirty minutes later, they had both gravitated towards the romance section. They both reached for the same copy of a popular series and excused themselves, giggling.

"Sorry! I haven't read this one yet!"

"Oh, you read this series? I loved the second book so much!" Hitomi gushed as Levy nodded. "I know it's a bit racy, but a girl has needs!"

"Tell me about it!" Levy flushed, fanning herself with a copy of the erotic novel. "Not to go into details, but..." she giggled, "yes!"

"Ah, young love!" Hitomi stood with another copy in her hand and flipped through the pages. "My marriage soured me in some ways, but reading has eve been an escape and true pleasure." Hitomi dropped the book and changed the subject. "We can look at books anytime, but how often do you get to watch that fine specimen of yours flaunting his muscles?"

"You're absolutely right! Let's go cheer on the boys!" Levy made a fist and brandished it, "I need to see Gajeel work up a sweat!"

As Gajeel and Lily warmed up for their sparring session, word had spread rapidly. Other patrons of the establishment wandered over as they overheard snippets of conversations from the employees. Several off-duty servants from the Tildenson manor had gathered, eagerly discussing fighting strategies. A sizable crowd had formed, and as the action heated up in the boxing ring, the babble of conversation died down.

Hitomi pushed her way through the crowd; Levy following after, grateful to the older woman. Inside the ring, Gajeel was stripped down to his pants as was Lily. They wore borrowed footwear, headwear and gloves. Sweat glistened over finely muscled pectorals and shined biceps and flexing backs.

Hitomi and Levy were both transfixed by the barbaric dance of fisticuffs. Gajeel and Lily were evenly matched, in size, skill and muscles. The defining difference seemed to be the will to win, who craved dominance more, who had more effort? Who desired the most to win?

Caught up in the crowd's enthusiasm, the two women began cheering them on. Gajeel, who had noticed from the first moment when Levy stepped inside the boxing club, began to try even harder. He blocked Lily's next punch and returned a flurry of jabs, peppering his exceed's ribs with punishing blows. He glared and twisted his lips in a wordless snarl. Backing away from his partner, Lily danced lightly on his feet and began a vicious counter-attack.

Lily gave Gajeel a rabbit punch to the face, landing a solid blow to his cheek. He grinned even as Gajeel shook it off and blocked the next attempt. He kept his gloves up and blocked the next series of blows, hopping back out of range.

Levy felt flushed; overheated, even though she wasn't in motion. Watching Gajeel fight while shirtless was gratifying, it gave her carnal appetites a wake up call. Clenching and unclenching her fists, the petite blue haired woman gave her whole attention to the fight.

Hitomi watched the fighting mages with every apparent sign of enjoyment. She found each to have a superior amount of muscles to every other man she'd ever met. After all; a person can find who ever they like attractive, even if they'd normally never try to capture their attention. Any one can enjoy the physical beauty of another - you need not love them or plan to take the enjoyment further - but things could 'just' happen if you tried.

The wizards clinched, and the referee separated them. The crowd sensed the end was near and more shouting and cheers erupted from throats already raw from constant use.

Gajeel stepped inside of Lily's guard and landed a brutal punch on his stomach. The air in Lily's lungs escaped and he collapsed to his knees. Again, the ref pushed the slayer away. After regaining his feet, the crowd cheered madly for Lily. He rolled his shoulders and motioned 'come on' to his friend. He blocked the next punch, but Gajeel forced another solid hit to his already bruised stomach and he fell down.

The count reached five before Lily stirred, and was at eight as he shakily stood up. Levy was transfixed by the fight; in awe of both mages' skill and determination to win. She screamed along with the crowd, encouraging both. Briefly she locked gazes with Gajeel and mouthed 'I love you' to him. He grinned, prideful at his mate's devotion.

Lily bobbed and weaved, trying to attack rapidly and then retreat. Gajeel countered with a rapid slew of blows and pummelled the same sore spot on Lily's ribs. The last punch caused Lily to gasp, that was Gajeel's opening. He landed a succession of hits in the same area, causing Lily to back away. In the corner, Lily had no where else to retreat and his erstwhile partner gave him yet another punishing strike. The slayer poured more energy into his next swing and Lily collapsed.

Giving a cursory look to the fallen pugilist, the referee held Gajeel's arm up in victory. The crowd exploded in celebration to see such a resplendent and decisive finishing move. Ever the conscientious victor, Gajeel helped Lily to his feet and slapped him on the back. The cheering surged again.

Levy rushed over and threw herself into her mate's arms. "You were spectacular!"

Mindful of the fact he was perspiring, Gajeel tried to step away from Levy's embrace. "I'm all sweaty."

"I don't care, that was amazing!"

Hitomi weighed in with her opinion, "Levy is right, that's the most amazing thing I've ever seen." She almost purred her satisfaction, "such an astounding display of strength from the both of you!"

"Uh, well...we gotta clean up, yeah?" Lily allowed the ref to loosen his gloves. "Time to hit the showers." Free of the encumbrances, the exceed shrank and simultaneously called his wings, hovering at Gajeel's eye level. "In case you were wondering, I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve for the next time we spar."

"Yeah, go get cleaned up - you reek." Gajeel laughed his trademark 'gi hehe' as Lily flipped him off and flew to the back of the room. "So, did you find me impressive Squirt?"

"You know I did, and knock it off with calling me Squirt." Levy stepped back and settled her hands on her hips. "Or I'll start training Lily and he'll kick your ass so bad you won't be able to walk for a week."

"Harsh woman, but I'll take that into consideration." Gajeel grinned and pressed an open mouthed kiss on Levy. He pulled away and laughed as she stood there, glassy eyed and silent.

"My oh my, such devotion to one another." Hitomi murmured this as Gajeel followed Lily into the change room. "That just may have been the best set of fisticuffs I've witnessed in my life."

Blinking rapidly, Levy came out of her stupor. "Ah, the life of a Fairy Tail mage leads to a lot of fights. This was pretty impressive, but maybe not the best I've ever seen."

"I'm sure you know better than me, but it was a delightful diversion." Hitomi smiled wistfully. "I hope the costume party proves as entertaining."

"Oh, of course it will!" Levy clapped her hands. "I'm so excited to see what costumes we'll be wearing!"

"Well, as a good host, I'll have to make sure your outfits are properly sized." The older woman nodded decisively. "You've been so gracious as to agree to help set up the party, we'll make your alterations part of prep work."

"I'm mostly anxious to see what Gajeel will be wearing." Levy sighed, "I love him in formal wear - but what ever you've selected, I'm sure will be spectacular."

"Oh, as glorious as both of your companions." Hitomi laughed, low and throaty. Her words spoke obviously of Gajeel and Lily, but the distant look on her face meant to Levy, that there was another man on her hostess' mind.


	37. All That Glitters...

Inside the ballroom, Levy walked to under the largest chandelier she'd ever seen. It was a massive collection of polished silver, dripping with crystals. Several standing candelabras were spread around the perimeter of the room, glowing brightly. The solid script mage looked up, "Wow! A giant skylight too!"

Hitomi rolled up her sleeves and smiled. "You're almost as awed as I was when I saw this room for the first time. I was easily ten years younger than you are right now though." She swung her now braided hair over a shoulder and walked over to Levy, handing the girl one of the aprons she held. "The skylight is the main reason we have the party during the full moon. There's a charm inside the chandelier and when it's charged with moonlight, it's an unforgettable sight."

"Much like yourself, dear step-mother. I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've seen you in such casual clothing." Ambrose strolled further into the ballroom from the ancillary hall. "The staff has outdone themselves with their efforts with the seating for supper."

Levy donned the apron and silently tied the strings. She watched the colour rise in Hitomi's cheeks. Levy witnessed Ambrose's smirk and the way he crowded close to his step-mother as he teased and joked in turns. "As many times as this house has hosted charity events, you make a bigger and better production each time." Ambrose now turned to Levy and sighed. "She's going to work you hard now, got you dressed for it - try to keep some energy for tomorrow's outing."

"I may not look tough, but I can handle a big workload."

"Shrimp's right." Gajeel entered the ballroom, followed by a flying Lily. "She's strong."

"Well excellent then!" The youngest Tildenson touched Hitomi on her elbow to gain her attention. "I need to talk to you later. It's up to you whether it's before or after supper tonight."

"I have a few minutes right now," Hitomi offered the other apron to Gajeel and he took it with barely covered distaste. Levy giggled and helped her mate into the pinafore.

Lily burst out laughing. "You look super sweet in that!"

The slayer frowned and crossed his arms. "Shut yer yap."

The sounds of the mages exchanging verbal jabs faded as Hitomi led Ambrose through the double doors on the north-east side of the six-sided ballroom. Once outside in the garden, the older woman dropped her cheerful demeanour. She hugged her arms and stood still, her face impassive. "What did you want to talk about so badly that you had to drag me away from our, I mean, my guests."

Ambrose raked his fingers through his sandy hair, looking keenly at his step-mother and then started walking further into the garden. He grinned when he heard her footsteps begin to follow.

Her hand reached out, the merest touch of her cool fingers stopped Ambrose dead in his tracks. Turning he stepped a bit closer to the older woman and gave her an exaggerated leer. "What're you planning?"

"Excuse me?" The polite indifference was gone, replaced with a coy smirk. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's the same thing every time and I think we're both done with this pattern." Ambrose shoved his hands into his pockets. "I was thinking we could share some of what Dad left behind for us."

The playful light died in her dark green eyes. "No."

"Why not?"

"Do I have to go over all the reasons yet again? They haven't changed, and I don't think they ever will." Hitomi pushed her palm against her step-son's chest. "I have work to do for your - my late husband's charity. If you'll excuse me?"

"Uh huh, but we're not done yet, dearest wife of my late father." Ambrose took his hands out of his pockets and presented Hitomi with a battered envelope. "Come and see me after you read this."

She looked carefully before reaching a hesitant hand out. Triumphantly, the young man pushed the missive into her hand and refused to take it back. "Don't wait too long - that's what I learned from Dad."

Hitomi shoved the wrinkled envelope into the back pocket of her jeans. "Yes, I must get back to my guests, I don't want them waiting too long." Deliberately she misunderstood Ambrose's words. She lifted her head and sniffed, "Be sure not to exhaust our friends tomorrow. I'll be wanting them at full strength for fun and games the night of the costume party."

Ambrose had no rejoinder for that and watched and brooded as his step-mother made her escape back to the ballroom.

Once back inside, Hitomi found Mary had begun organizing some of the chaos involved in decorating. Lily was now dressed in a maid's apron complete with old-fashioned mobcap.

All heads turned to Hitomi as she laughed heartily, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, that looks beyond adorable!"

Levy pumped her fist in the air and crowed, "Yes! Gajeel, you've lost the bet - you'll be wearing one too!"

The slayer gave his mate a sour look but nodded acceptance. Mary crooked her finger and Gajeel leaned down to allow the senior maid to affix the hat. She stepped back, her hands on her plump hips and then turned to Hitomi. "We've finished everything in the dining hall except for the flowers. What do want to focus on next?"

"There's the retiring rooms to organize as well as the casual seating, the comfort stations, the garden areas, moving the statuary and sculptures..." Hitomi read that off and more from a list she pulled out of her front pocket.

The three mages exchanged panicked looks with each other and Mary laughed gently. "Don't worry, we've a full staff here plus extra labourers for heavy lifting."

"N-no, that's not it!" Levy shook her head, "hard work doesn't scare me, but is there enough time to finish everything?"

Lily and Gajeel nodded. Scratching at his waist, the slayer frowned. "We could help all day tomorrow if you need it."

"Everything is under control," Hitomi folded her list and jammed it into her pants. "All the staff has lots of experience and understand what needs to be done. I daresay I hardly need to oversee them at this point."

"Goodness yes, but there's always a few things to troubleshoot," Mary snagged Gajeel's arm, "let's start on the casual seating together. My son Josh cannot stop talking about your sparring match this afternoon." The mage grunted and allowed the older woman to lead him away, her chattering never stopping.

Levy looked to Hitomi questioningly.

"Mary will take good care of your boyfriend, but he'll have his ears talked off." Hitomi pursed her lips in thought. "Actually, I had been thinking to assign the two of you together for a task anyway. Are you scared of heights Levy?"

"No. Why?"

Lily smiled, "I believe my assistance is about to be required."

"Most of the art needs to be changed and the chandelier needs polishing, more lights need to be placed on the walls and the skylight could use a wash inside and out." Looking a little chagrined, Hitomi continued, "...and the art in the hallways, comfort stations, and ancillary room need changing."

"We should start from the top down, huh?" Lily rubbed his chin in thought. "We'll clean the skylight, polish the chandelier and if you organize the art," he grinned at their hostess, "we'll change that out in no time."

"If only I could get your help every year for this!" Hitomi gave a small head nod to Levy and Lily. "I confess, it is going to be so much easier to not have to move a ladder everywhere."

"Let's get started," Levy walked over to the table laden with cleaning supplies and picked up a rag and cleaning fluid. Lily collected his own rag and wrapping his tail around the slim waist of his friend, flew towards the skylight.

Soon the vast majority of servants and day-labourers were busy working on various tasks. Hours passed and a subtle change was noticeable in the grand ballroom. Lacrima powered lights were spaced around the perimeter of the room, most of them near the ceiling. The art now dressing the walls were bolder works with the gaudiest of frames, gold leafed in most cases and heavily carved.

Swathes of jewel bright material were hung behind the raised dais where the grand piano was being re-tuned. More fabric was suspended over the double French doors which led to the garden. As if by signal, and actually most probably, the servants began to leave after they finished whatever task they were involved in. Within a twenty minute span, only Hitomi and the three mages were still working.

Gajeel had waved goodbye to Mary closer to an hour ago. She'd informed him about the shift change for servants and the fact that certain supper preparations were already underway for the party as well as tonight's repast. The slayer then had assisted with moving statuary out in the garden with several footmen, including Perry and Josh. He realized quickly that Mary had taken pity on him and her working with him, had been protecting him from the talkative footmen. He heaved a huge sigh of relief when they took their leave.

Lily dive bombed Gajeel and dropped Levy into his arms, who shrieked with delight. The slayer hugged his mate tightly and nuzzled her ear. "I'm so glad this evening is almost over."

"Don't you like being fawned over?" Levy asked lightly, her slim arms looped around Gajeel's neck. "I told Lily you might be irritated with their constant questions, but I knew you'd behave." She giggled as the slayer growled.

"If I've been good, I must deserve a reward."

"Guys, can you wait 'til you're in your room?" Lily floated in front of the still cuddling couple. "I worked hard and I don't want to ruin my appetite."

"So go." Gajeel allowed Levy to slide down out of his embrace. "See ya at dinner." Exceed and slayer laughed in unison, the three mages exiting the grand ballroom.

Levy held onto Gajeel's hand and leaned against his body. "When we get back home, will things change?"

"Huh?"

"Will you tell everyone you're my boyfriend?" Levy looked up and then down at their clasped hands. "This has been like a bit of a dream. No one to tease us, no gossip about us and only support from Lily."

The slayer gently drew Levy's hand up and wrapped his other hand around their intertwined fingers. "I'm not going to need to say anything. Salamander and Wendy will be able to smell the truth all over us. Bunny girl will hear it from the idiot and everyone will see by our actions that we're a mated pair."

"But don't you want to freely admit it?" Levy spoke softly, "you're still so much the kind of person that doesn't broadcast their feelings." She continued walking quietly for another minute, then whispered, "I don't know what I was thinking. Ignore my ramblings Gajeel." She held tighter onto his hand and lead the way back to their room. The slayer only grunted in response as he pondered her words.

 

"Tonight's dinner will be a little less formal," Hitomi patted Lily's shoulder as she sat down beside him. "Obviously still a high level of quality, but less serving." She pulled the chair next to her out and gestured to Gajeel, "please, sit. I see my step-sons are running a little late. There's no need to wait overly long for them. They know how things get this close to a party."

Levy chose a seat opposite to her hostess. "I've been wondering about our costumes. How much alteration will they need?" The solid script mage was startled a little bit as Ambrose and Hibiki swept into the dining room and both grabbed a chair beside her. "Matter of fact, I confess curiosity for everyone's costumes."

"Well, I like to cobble something together at the last minute like Father always did, and Hitomi and Ambrose always have liked planning ahead." Hibiki settled into his chair, "I guess it depends a bit on the theme too." He pulled a platter towards his plate and served himself. "Everybody, help yourself." He smiled self-consciously, "I'm not used to being head of the family at all."

"I've saved some time tonight for costume fitting our guests," Hitomi announced. She relished the quick look of pique that crossed Ambrose's face and continued, "after all, we need enough time for the seamstresses to alter the clothes if I haven't assessed them close enough. It won't take that long - I'm sure my eye for sizing up men hasn't deteriorated." Hitomi pushed the water pitcher towards Levy. "Nor has my creativity failed when it comes to dressing a beautiful rival."

Levy grinned at Hitomi. "A compliment of beautiful? You're too sweet!" She poured herself a drink and offered the pitcher to Ambrose. "I'd love to take over the dinner conversation and talk endlessly about these costumes, but I suppose out of consideration for the boys we should talk of something else."

"I don't mind." Lily spoke up, "I look good in all kinds of clothes."

"I don't care either way." Gajeel offered gruffly, "My girlfriend is sure to shine in whatever she wears - I'll be her arm candy." He winked at Levy and chuckled as she blushed.

"As long as it really doesn't take too long." Ambrose pushed the last bites of his food around his plate. "We'll need lots of energy for tomorrow's tour."

"Eat up," Hitomi urged. "How can you run around tomorrow if you don't fuel up tonight?" She selected another serving of vegetables from the platter, looking up directly at her younger step-son. "Or grow up big and strong?"

"Gi he he!" Lily burst out laughing, "Hitomi, you've got quite the sense of humour!" He thumped his paw on the table and transformed into his warrior form. "Too bad it isn't as easy as this!"

"Ambrose is twenty-six, isn't he? I think he's all done growing." Levy set down her utensils. "I suppose height wise he's not going to get any taller, but he could always develop muscle mass."

"Hey, I'm right here." Ambrose pushed himself away from the table. "I'm going to take my feeble self to bed now." He stood up and took the few steps over to his brother, leaning over and whispered into his ear. Straightening up, he addressed the whole table. "I bid you good night. See you bright and early - breakfast will be our first tour stop."

Conversation lulled as Ambrose exited and then rebounded. Hitomi painted a bright smile on her face. "Levy, I think you are going to steal all attention wearing this costume I've devised for you."

"You actually made it for me?"

"Well, I had some inspiration and found the most darling dress idea to build it around."

Lily began stacking the closer dirty plates together. "Fun as all this clothes talk is, I wanna get my fitting with over and done with. I promised some more matches to the footmen."

"I'll help you." Gajeel quickly stood up and went around the table and began piling the rest of the dishes together. "Another couple of rounds will help me sleep peacefully."

"Boys, please leave the dishes where they are. The maids will pick them up later - it's all right." Hitomi rose from her chair and nodded regally at Hibiki. "I'll guess I'll only be seeing you in the morning," she turned and began to lead the way out of the dining room. "Follow me. I'm taking you to my chambers." Hitomi sighed and spoke softly. "I haven't moved from the Master's suite yet - it has the biggest dressing room suited for costume fittings."

Inside Hitomi's dressing room, the trio of mages sat on a large backless couch and watched her flit around the room. It was richly appointed with dark panelled walls and two changing screens, each an exact replica of the other. A clothes rack was placed between the dividers, full of colourful costumes. On top of a dresser was a collection of assorted hats and scarves, feathered head pieces and hair jewellery.

Presently, their hostess slowed down and ducked behind each screen in turn, leaving a selection of clothes behind each. "Boys first?"

Levy clapped her hands and then pushed Lily and Gajeel forward. "I just know you'll both look so handsome!"

"Yes," Hitomi hooked a loose strand of hair behind an ear. "I was inspired by your brawn, so I settled on a military theme for the both of you." She took hold of Lily's paw and patted his arm. "I took the liberty of sizing it for your battle form - I hope you don't mind." Hitomi pointed to the screen on the right, "this scarlet I thought would set off your colouring most splendidly."

Hitomi sat down beside Levy. "You're going to want to dance all night at the ball. None of the high society ladies will be able to tear their eyes off your two gentlemen."

"I might want to dance all night, but I don't know if I can convince Gajeel to let me." Levy replied, "If he doesn't want to, I'm not about to force him."

"My dear, you misunderstand me!" Hitomi gave the petite girl a one-armed hug. "Once the high society men see you in your costume, you'll be swarmed!" She smiled warmly, "One invitation to dance after another is my prediction!" Hitomi sat forward, "time's up. Come on out and show us how great you look."

Lily poked his head out. He looked over at the other screen and grumbled. "C'mon Gajeel - at the same time."

"Gimme another minute. I ain't never wore something done up with ribbons before." Gajeel fussed with his clothes a bit more and then gave up with a sigh. "Okay. Ready as I'll ever be."

Belying his earlier less than voluntary attitude, Lily stepped out from behind the partition and whirled, showing off his richly embroidered military uniform. He held a scarlet plumed hat in hand and giving another turn he flipped his black cloak over his shoulder, exposing the matching scarlet lining. His uniform boasted lots of gold braiding looping over the shoulder epaulets and rows of glittering buttons holding the stark white front in place between the richly red dyed wool of the main garment. Fancy medals were pinned all over the left side of the chest area. Lily grinned and adjusted the sash that went overtop, then drew the dress sword from its scabbard. "I think I can change this out and use my own sword."

Levy nodded absently at the posturing exceed and let her eyes drink their fill of her slayer. He wore the same style of cape, albeit in a dark shade of midnight blue, his plumed hat also in hand. He'd used the ribbon provided for his hair and drawn the unruly mass into a low ponytail. His uniform was edged in silver, the wide cuffs of the sleeves heavily embroidered as were the collar and button-holes. The buttons were simple disks of silver. Gajeel wore a flowing white blouson, only partially laced up under the uniform jacket which he'd left undone and only just settled over his shoulders.

Hitomi sprung up and ran over to Lily first and began checking the fit of his uniform. "I see you love the cape, but I need you to take it off."

He nodded and tossed it over the divider, followed by the hat. Hitomi walked around him silently and asked him questions over the fit of the garment. She checked how much ease he had over his broad shoulders and if the accompanying boots were big enough. In the space of a few short minutes, she'd found three places needing seams let out and took rough notes on the adjustments. "Okay, this is pretty much all you need for fitting. Go ahead and take it off. Everything will be fixed in time for the party."

She circled around Gajeel and used her tape measure in a brisk fashion, checking the same questions in regards to the fit of his costume. Gajeel watched Levy, hardly paying any attention to Hitomi who had to ask him twice to shed his cape. Finally she was satisfied with her measurements and pushed Gajeel behind the screen.

"You've been very good, now you may leave." Hitomi pointed towards the door. "Bye-bye boys. You'll have to wait for the party to see how incredible she looks."

Levy giggled with Hitomi as Lily dragged a muttering Gajeel away. The door shut behind them with a thud. "Just let me clear the boy's costumes off to one side and I'll show you your outfit." Cheerfully humming, the mature woman went to move the garments aside and then rifled through the clothes rack.

Unable to contain her curiosity any further, Levy pushed herself off the couch and wandered over to the dressing table. She touched the sparkling hair ornaments with an expression of awe.

"I was saving those for after you don the gown - but we can look them over right now if you'd like!"

"I couldn't wear anything so costly, even only borrowed for an evening!" Levy shook her head, "no. There's no chance I want to risk losing something like that!"

Hitomi smiled gently, "don't worry about that sort of thing! They're only imitation stones and paste."

"But they look so real."

"And they're meant to look real, but trust me when I say all that glitters isn't gold." Hitomi let her smile dip for a second, "they're just trinkets, symbols of what I sold my youth for and not important in the long run at all." Turning away, Hitomi squared her shoulders and ventured behind the dressing screen once more. "Anytime you're ready! This gown is too much for one person to attempt putting on by herself! Allow me to play lady's maid."

Levy joined her hostess and gasped. The gown hanging from the hanger was a confection of silver and white gauzy layers. Its skirt was short in front and much longer in the back, the straps criss-crossed over the back and were made completely of fine silver chain. The bodice, what little there was of it was silver dotted with more silver embroideries.

The petite young woman reached out to stroke the skirt of the dress. "It's so beautiful!"

"I take it you like it?" Hitomi grinned, her good humour back in place. "There's a choice of a feathered cloak or a silk shawl, either one looks very nice with it, but the fairy wings that complete the costume look nicer with the shawl."

"I really get to wear this?" Levy turned to Hitomi and confided, "most people seem to choose god-awful shades of orange for me."

Her hostess gave a little shudder and shared a look of distaste with Levy. "I insist you try it on right away!" Hitomi looked at Levy's figure a little closer. "I think there's a matching slip for this dress, now that I think about it - you won't have to bother with any support either." She nodded and raced over to the dresser and pulled out each drawer in turn, searching for the undergarment. "Found it!"

Levy accepted the gossamer thin scrap of silk from overtop the screen and skimmed out of her clothes, pulling the slip over her head quickly.

"Ready for the gown?" Hitomi efficiently unzipped the silver fairy gown and directed Levy to raise her arms. "It's easier to put it on over, and when removing it, to step out of it." The layers of silver organza and silk slid into place. The delicate silver chains were cold and made Levy shiver.

"Your hair contrasts beautifully against the silvery gray of the dress! Let me zip you up and we'll check the fit." Levy caressed layers of the skirt, and felt the bodice begin to provide support as the back of the gown was zipped up. "Now don't worry about the straps of the slip showing, they were designed to match the chains of the dress."

"Huh, I didn't even notice when I was putting it on." Levy looked at the chains of the gown and slip. "That's some excellent planning and forethought on someone's part."

"Thanks, um, I mean, you're right about that." Hitomi smiled, "have a look in the long mirror. Then I'll get the wings!" She bustled off into a closet and returned with an elegant filigreed set of wings.

Levy looked into the mirror, trying to make sense of the way the fancy dress had her so excited. She shrugged and gave into temptation, twirling about and watching the layers of the gown separate and float. Embarrassed, she stopped as she noticed Hitomi hold up the silver wings. "I don't think I need the wings."

"I dare say you're right, no need to gild this particular lily." Placing errant strands of dark green behind each ear, the older woman nodded. "Wings would be over-kill. Let's pick out some hair accessories!"

"Maybe I should change out of the dress first?"

"Not until I give you a quick going over to make sure it fits as well as it can." The older woman gave Levy's fitting a critical perusal. "The style of the hemline means there's no need for hemming, unless you're uncomfortable with how much the train drags. Walk back and forth a little bit, how does it feel?"

Cautious at first, the younger woman paced back and forth, stealing small glances into the mirror. Levy gained more confidence and put a bit more sway into her saunter. "It feels great!"

"Excellent! You will be the center of envy and attention." Hitomi pulled out her notepad, "there's only a few things needed taking in and out for your partners' outfits and the gown is a perfect fit for you."

"Might I ask whose this was before?"

"No one's really - I guess you'd say it just belongs to the manor." Hitomi shrugged and walked over to the dresser. "I find I'm a bit more tired than expected, I'll search through the hair jewellery and accessories later. I'll have a selection delivered to your room the night of the costume ball."

"That's very generous of you, I appreciate it." Levy hugged herself, "I do wonder what Lily and Gajeel have gotten themselves up to. Unzip me?"

"Certainly."

"Thanks." Levy darted back behind the changing screen and stepped out of the gown, taking great care to load it back onto its hanger and treating the slip with the same caution. Within two minutes, the mage was dressed back in her own clothes.

Hitomi was sitting on the couch holding onto her notepad as Levy stepped out from behind the room divider. "Well, thanks again for such awesome hospitality!"

"It's been my pleasure!" Hitomi made to push off from the couch.

She sat back as Levy shook her head. "You said you were tired, I can let myself out and find the boys on my own. Goodnight."

The older woman echoed her last words as the door softly shut. Dropping the flimsy notepad on the couch, Hitomi sighed and rubbed her forehead. A soft knock sounded on the recently closed door. Forcing a smile to her face, Hitomi bid 'enter'.

Ambrose stuck his face inside the room, looking at the older woman. "Took a long time for you to take measurements. Enjoying some girl talk?"

"Get out."

"Why you gotta be this way? You told me to come in not even a minute ago."

"I didn't think it was you. Don't you have early plans tomorrow?" Hitomi let her smile turn cold. "I'm not going to read that letter."

Ambrose nodded and stepped inside, closing the door after him. "Interesting, you're thinking about it. But you don't have to read it, I could quote you bits and pieces actually."

"I said get out. Is that too hard for you to understand?"

He curled his lip a little and strode over to the garment rail and began looking through the costumes. "Dearest wife of my late father, I require some assistance with my own costume."

"Help yourself to whatever you like except for the ones hanging up behind the screens. I'm going to bed."

"Don't you want to help me too? Make sure it fits properly?"

"You can get Mary to help. I've had enough of you right now." Hitomi walked over to the door leading to her bed chamber. "Take a costume and leave." She locked the door behind her as quietly as she could. Inside her bedroom she prepared herself for sleep, listening for her unwelcome visitor to depart.

Now dressed in a nightgown, Hitomi held the rumpled envelope in her hands and stared at her deceased husband's handwriting. Her breaths felt sharp. Each inhalation stabbed deep in her lungs and lanced her heart. Tears refused to fall, her eyes were dry. Sighing, she placed the missive on her bedside table and anchored it with a book.


	38. Exhibition

The birds singing sweetly in the morning failed to raise Hitomi's spirits. It had taken her extra long to fall asleep, her dreams had been unsettling - what little she remembered. Resolute, she ignored the letter as she dressed and prepared herself for the day. One last glance at it resting on her nightstand, and Hitomi exited her room.

Downstairs in the breakfast room Hibiki was already tucking into a plate of food. He stood up and pulled out a chair for his step-mother and offered to pour a hot beverage.

"Thanks, I think tea this morning." Hitomi forced a smile and forked eggs onto her plate. "Everything is shaping up well for the party, isn't it?"

"Yes, have I ever honestly thanked you for all the hard work you do for the family?" Hibiki ripped the crust off a piece of toast and broke it into smaller pieces. "I wish you'd reconsider leaving."

"You will be just fine without me. I still have family after all, and you need to do things your own way. There's no need to slavishly follow every tradition." Almost angrily, she scooped bacon off a platter and picked up a piece with her fingers. "I aught not to have this, but I'm going to enjoy this bacon."

"Have more toast while you're at it," Hibiki offered Hitomi the plate. "You're going to be occupied at the party with duty dances, aren't you? You'll need your strength!"

An honest smile blossomed on the mature woman's face, "and perhaps some shoes proof against clumsiness."

"Then make sure to partner with Ambrose. He took to the deportment lessons far better than I." Hibiki chuckled, "and he enjoys socializing as much as you do."

"There's no need to torture either of us - your brother will be chasing after some young doe-eyed girl and I have better things to do with my time." Hitomi made sure to smile at her older step-son as she continued to add food to her plate. "The servants will have last minute issues and I need to be free to trouble shoot problems."

"I insist you lighten your duties and do your best to enjoy this party." Softening his tone, Hibiki blushed lightly, "I mean, I wish you would relax more during the event and allow me to take over some of the responsibilities." He picked up his mug and took a sip, just silently watching Hitomi try to hide what she was feeling.

"I suppose taking it easier might be beneficial to the both of us," Hitomi nodded, "I'll let you ease into the host's position and I'll do my best to enjoy myself. I shall kick up my heels and have a grand time no one in town will soon forget."

Hibiki almost dropped his beverage as his step-mother's face lifted, revealing eyes that sparkled and lips curved in a genuine smile. A bit flustered, he crammed a half piece of toast into his mouth. Crumbs flew everywhere as he answered, "Uh huh."

Peals of laughter erupted from the woman as she reached across the table to help herself to jam and peanut butter. Generously coating a piece of toast with those confections, she then topped it with a piece of crispy bacon and ate it daintily, sighing her pleasure.

"In all the years we have breakfasted together as family, I don't think I've ever seen you eat something such as that."

"I'm going to start right now with enjoying myself - what ever whim crosses my mind, I'm indulging it." Hitomi pushed the condiments over to Hibiki. "Try it, the combination of sweet and salty is divine. "

"I'll take your word for it," he pushed his empty plate to the side. "I have lots of farm business to take care of this morning. I'll see you later - now don't work too hard!" Hibiki smiled nervously as he exited the room.

Hitomi spoke to herself, "So many men, so little time." She laughed, but there was little mirth in the sound.

 

"This was so very thoughtful of you Ambrose!" Levy couldn't help herself gush, "Gajeel would've hated a vehicle - this walk was an inspired idea!" She squeezed her mate's hand, turning to smile winsomely at Gajeel. "My dress for the costume party doesn't need any alterations - but it's a good thing to burn some calories before breakfast."

"Gi he, long as you don't lose any junk in that trunk." He made as if to pinch Levy, making her swat at his hand and giggle.

Lily shot the slayer a scandalized look, "It's bad enough being in the room across the hall, I have exceptional hearing - can you keep your paws to yourself in the daylight hours?"

Ambrose coughed to cover his mirth. "Ah, the diner is just a few blocks away. Then we can explore the merchant's market. We have a rare book dealer and a seller of surplus military goods I think you'll find interesting."

"Is there a produce section?" Lily inquired, "the kiwis from yesterday's outing were superb."

"Matter of fact, the farm runs a stand in the market. If I'm not mistaken, Sophia will be manning the booth from Fhenwyr's."

With a smile Lily nodded, "are you and her an item?"

"What? No! She's too young." Ambrose shook his head. "I mean, she's nice and all, but not my type."

"Sorry, you just seemed to know too much about her schedule. My bad!" Lily rubbed his stomach, "I cannot wait for breakfast."

Glad the subject had been changed, Ambrose strode ahead of the mages. The small diner was within sight. The facade painted a long time ago was now a faded red; its sign a simple rectangle proclaiming 'Granny's Plate'. Blue and white checked curtains were installed at each window and overflowing planters hung only a foot apart from each other. It had a bell stationed over the door that tinkled merrily as a crowd of patrons exited. Ambrose exchanged pleasantries with them and then held the door open for his own group.

Inside, the diner was bustling; the clinking of cutlery competed with the murmur of voices. "Sit at any free table." The hostess pointed to a spot in front of the window. "Move quick or the next set of patrons is sure to snatch that up."

"You wouldn't let that happen, would you?" Ambrose led the way over to the indicated seats. Gajeel pulled out a chair for Levy who sat and thanked him with a smile. Lily sat opposite to the girl and Ambrose sat across from Gajeel.

A very buxom waitress hurried over to the hungry customers. She smiled at all of them, but lingered her gaze on Ambrose the longest. "Hi Ambrose!" She handed out menus, "can I start you off with some drinks?"

A chorus of answers had the girl scribbling in her notepad; with another toothy smile, she promised to be back rapidly to take their food orders.

"This girl seems a little older. Is she your type?" Lily exchanged a sly look with Levy and continued his interrogation. "She certainly seemed happy to see you."

Gajeel snorted but deigned to add to the conversation. He laced his fingers with Levy's hand and settled it comfortably on his thigh.

"We're out to enjoy ourselves, not pester our host with personal questions." Levy smiled impishly, "but if you wanted to talk..."

Ambrose gulped audibly and forced a sickly smile to his lips. "This is a small town and I know lots of girls, I mean people. Lots of people!"

Setting down and then handing out the beverages, the waitress smiled. "Know what you want?" Their server nudged Ambrose's shoulder. "Made up your mind?" Her words seemed imbued with more than one meaning. She laughed lightly as her target sputtered incoherently. Pointing her pencil to Lily, she repeated her question. They gave their orders one by one; Ambrose having recovered to mutter his choices at the end. "I'll be back shortly!"

"She seems to know you quite well." Levy giggled. "And she'd like to know more of you," she added archly, "better."

"Gah, you trying to ruin my appetite?" Gajeel beetled his brows at his girlfriend. "I don't really wanna hear this - and as much as I'm not Ambrose's pal - he looks like he's gonna have a nervous break down or run."

"Just making conversation. It's what people do."

"Then you don't mind if I discuss early this morning? I want to try -" Gajeel smirked up until the point of Levy's elbow made contact with his rock hard gut. He rubbed the spot and recaptured Levy's hand. "Then let's ask where else we're going this morning."

"Excellent suggestion." Mopping his forehead with a monogrammed handkerchief, Ambrose consulted his itinerary. "The merchant's market is three streets over. I thought we'd go there next and then visit the museum and top it off with a visit to the wishing well."

Girlish delight filled Levy's voice, "a wishing well? Is it old or relatively new? Are there any local stories about star-crossed lovers?"

"It's older than the town, miss." The waitress was back with steaming plates of food. "My uncle has collections of scrolls featuring true stories of the wishing well."

"His rare book stall is on our list." Ambrose gave a tight smile to the serving girl who now was chatting animatedly with Levy. "Don't you have other tables to attend to?"

"It's not like Granny is going to fire her favourite granddaughter, now is it?" She patted Levy on the shoulder, "tell Uncle Ivan that Cindy sent you." Giggling she surveyed the table. "Can I freshen your drinks? More hot water for your tea? More coffee?" Everybody shook their heads and Cindy left after promising to return in a bit.

"This museum, what does it feature?" Lily downed the rest of his kiwi juice and smacked his lips. "Kiwis?"

The rest of the table laughed gently and Lily joined in. Ambrose absently tapped his fork on his plate and answered, "actually, it's a museum dedicated to the natural swamp habitat. There's special species of plants that only grow in these bogs. The museum chronicles the very beginning of the town."

"Me an Lily already got up close and personal with that damn stinking swamp. Now we've gotta wade through a building stuffed with more rancid mud?" Gajeel curled his lip, "I'd rather go shopping."

"A little bit of history won't kill you." Levy spoke first and Lily echoed her words.

Ambrose nodded, "it's just a small museum. Though I do think they actually have samples of the different mud you will find in the swamp."

"Well," Levy patted her lips with her napkin, "I think it will be interesting. How bad can a swamp smell?"

After finishing their meals and leaving a generous tip, the group strolled down the boulevard towards the merchant district. Gajeel claimed Levy's hand and glared at every male who even thought of glancing at his diminutive girlfriend.

Lily hid his smile and walked between Levy and Ambrose. "So this merchant's area has lots of vendors?"

"On the weekend, the specialty shops from the smaller villages come here to do business. We've become a bit of a tourist attraction for that." The people on the street were noticeably headed in the same direction. "And, the locals love to get together no matter the reason."

The town centre was teeming with people. Colourful carts, booths and more elaborate temporary structures were organized in neat rows. Cheerful proprietors chatted with their customers, exchanging goods and jewels.

Ambrose was stopped repeatedly by female acquaintances - each time being greeted effusively with hugs and demands to spend more time visiting. The mages tacitly agreed to separate from their host and began browsing on their own.

On the end of one row, Levy found the familiar scent of aged parchment and ink. She followed her nose to a faded wooden building with a colourful awning. It had crates of books stacked on either side, creating a corridor leading into a dim interior, crowded with old tomes.

A very ornate spine enticed Levy's curiosity, it was lodged at the top of a shelf. Without thinking of the consequences, she clambered up and was in the midst of prying it free when an unsubtle cough startled her. With an 'eep' she took a step back, falling from the bookshelf.

"Miss, I'll have to ask you to refrain from climbing shelves." The man behind the register spoke gruffly. "We have a ladder to reach the product at the top."

"Shrimp, I thought you had better manners than that." Gajeel held his girlfriend easily. "I coulda reached that for you, or Lily woulda." He nudged his exceed, "right?"

"Certainly." Lily flew up to the top and examined the remaining titles. "You have only to ask for help."

"I wasn't thinking." Levy blushed and struggled out of Gajeel's arms. "That book reminded me of another I'm sure I've seen recently."

"How can you keep track?" Gajeel laughed, unperturbed by the middle-aged proprietor of the shop who was unabashedly listening to their conversation. "You read more than any three regular people put together."

"Are you saying I'm not a regular person?"

"Sheesh woman, I didn't say that."

"What Gajeel is ineptly trying to say is that we'll leave you to your browsing." Lily settled on his slayer's shoulder. "I wish to examine the weapon vendor's goods."

Awkwardly, Gajeel stooped down to Levy's level and whispered into her ear. She blushed and pushed him out of the shop. Laughing, he swaggered back into the maze of market stalls.

"Sorry about that," Levy addressed the man behind the counter. "I really do think I've seen an identical or matching decoration on another book."

"It's not very likely, my special books are quite rare." He fiddled with the round glasses on his nose, removing them to clean them.

"Do you have a niece who waitresses at Granny's?" Levy asked, "Cindy recommended I ask you about your scroll collection of wishing well stories."

"And all of them true!" The proprietor chuckled, "well, most of them I'm sure."

Levy nodded, looking at the book she'd nearly fallen off a bookshelf for. "The decoration on the spine looks like some of what I've seen at the Tildenson Manor."

"Ah, then the spine decorations do match. He paid me good jewels to make them look resplendent. Can I offer you some tea?"

"Oh, we've just finished breakfast - so no thank you." Levy put down the book on the counter. "I would like to read those scrolls if you didn't mind."

"Certainly. Give me a moment to collect them." He turned and strode into the back of his shop. Returning with an armload of rolled paper, he spread them out and picked out one from the bottom and handed it to Levy. "This is one of the earlier stories."

Levy accepted it and carefully unrolled it and began to read. She read scroll after scroll, chatting with Ivan over the local legends. After close to an hour Gajeel returned for her and dragged her away, but not before she bought an armful of books. He took her burden before she could ask and held it with a purchase of his own.

"I see you found something of interest while I was enjoying books." Levy leaned against Gajeel and reached for the other bag he was carrying. "What is it?"

"Tch, woman - it's a surprise." The slayer gave his girlfriend a mock frown. "It's a gift for Lily."

"Didn't you two go off together to weapon shop?"

"Don't say shop, we were procuring." Gajeel slung an arm around Levy's shoulder and grinned. "Lily knows I bought it, but he doesn't know it's for him."

"You're a softy!" Levy giggled. "Such a sweet guy!"

"I don't know about sweet, but at least mildly acceptable." Lily flew over beside Levy. He was carrying a bag of his own and holding a kiwi in his hand.

"Has anyone seen Ambrose?" Levy directed her question to her companions, but a pretty red-headed young woman answered instead.

"He's holding court on the other end of the market square."

The trio thanked the woman and headed off to find their tour guide. They found him surrounded by a crowd made up mostly of females. Ambrose made his excuses and rejoined his guests.

"Are we all set to enjoy the museum? Before we go in, shall I have your purchases sent back to the manor?"

"That'd be great!" Levy exclaimed, "our treasures aren't all that heavy, but it's nicer to have your hands free."

"One more kiwi and you can take the rest," Lily mumbled through a mouthful of fruit. Everyone laughed.

Touring the museum wasn't as arduous as Gajeel had assumed it would be. For one, the samples of mud were secured behind glass and the way Levy's face lit up as she learned more information was worth the price of admission.

The walk to the wishing well after was equally pleasant. Lily and Ambrose had hurried ahead of Levy and Gajeel, who watched them almost barrel down the path. Levy tugged on Gajeel's hand bringing him to a halt. She beckoned him with a finger, bringing his face down to her level. "How long has it been since our last kiss?"

"Gi hehe, too long!" Gajeel took care to remedy the situation, thoroughly.

Both Ambrose and Lily were staring into the well as the other half of the party rejoined them. Levy walked over to the plaque and read it.

"Can we go back now? I've got a hankering for a nap," Gajeel said, a sly smile ghosting his lips.

"We can go whenever you like." Ambrose was quick to agree. "I suppose resting up in order to assist with the preparations for the party would be the most logical thing to do."

Gajeel strode over to Levy, settling his hands on her waist and resting his chin on top of her head. "I said nap but not too much sleeping will be involved."

Levy blushed and looked down at her shoes, but not before elbowing Gajeel. Ambrose pretended not to hear the slayer's blunt words and Lily rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"This is a beautiful flower, I haven't seen any like this before in the area." Levy bent to pluck the specimen in question. "It's so orange."

"Local folks call it a love flower, it grows all around the wishing well." Ambrose pointed to a large patch of it, "the younger people wish for love at the well and give bouquets of these flowers to their crush, hoping their devotion is returned. And there's some mention of the flower being used in love spells, when the attraction is not reciprocated."

"The rare-book seller told me a few of those stories and even more were documented in the scrolls I read." Levy smiled at Gajeel. "I'm sure I won't have need of a potion for you, but an arrangement of flowers in our room would be lovely."

"I guess."

"Such a romantic." Levy giggled and collected a fistful of the flowers. "I think I'm wanting that nap too."

"Let me help you and then we can go sooner," Gajeel smirked, "it's the gentlemanly thing to do, right?"

 

Levy stood back and admired her arrangement of flowers. "I think I did a good job on that."

Gajeel patted the spot on the bed next to him, "uh huh, lemme give you a reward."

"If I come over there, it's really me giving you a reward." Levy had turned around to speak and winked at her boyfriend. "How tired are you?"

"What are you getting at Shrimp?" Gajeel's eyes fixed with hunger on Levy's lips.

"Did you want to lie back and relax?"

Gajeel felt his veins thrum as his heart began to pound. "You can do whatever you want as long as you come over here."

Levy sauntered closer and began unbuttoning her blouse. "Oh, I was planning on it. Doing what ever I want." She dropped the garment on the floor and began unzipping her skirt. "Lose your clothes."

 

Lily thanked Ambrose once more at the entrance to the gymnasium. "You sure you don't want to go a few rounds? It's real good exercise to work out whatever demons are plaguing you."

The sandy haired man paused, "you think I have demons?" He frowned. "I have my brother, a good home and lots of companions."

The exceed grinned, "but not one special companion. You've got your step-mother too. Now why didn't you mention her?" Lily switched to his larger form and tossed a pair of boxing gloves to Ambrose. "I think she's a very interesting lady."

Without even realizing it, Ambrose was glowering. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Go change into something casual and I'll tell you as we spar."

Ambrose was back almost immediately, accompanied by a few off duty footmen. "I realize I have more of a reputation as a lover than a fighter, but let's just see."

Lily smiled, "I like your attitude! Come at me!"

Moving light on their feet, the two combatants circled each other. Feints were exchanged, trying to draw the other out of position. Ambrose kept his hands up, protecting his face while Lily had more of a relaxed stance. His hands were up, but not quite as much and left further out.

Ambrose threw a left jab, aiming for Lily's cheek. It never landed, blocked by the watchful exceed. "Tell me what you meant."

"Hmmm?" Lily danced away as Ambrose advanced and feinted again. "It's self explanatory how's she's a lady - all the usual beautiful components...stacked."

The bland mask Ambrose was wearing began to tear, and he let his smile become thin and tight. "She's more than stacked components."

Lily hunched his shoulders a bit and threw a punch aimed at his opponent's gut. Ambrose had time to tighten his abdomen and only grunted as the fist made contact. They circled each other, weaving back and forth. More punches thrown and some blocked, some taken with grunts and hisses of pain.

"She's interesting in many ways." Lily wasn't winded yet, but he panted these words in hopes of deceiving his sparring partner. "She looks a bit cold, but I bet she'd warm up with the right incentive."

"Now I know you're fishing." Ambrose relaxed and his next blows were carefully controlled, a rapid left and right hook combination. "You aren't interested in her like that. I saw your reactions to her earlier flirting."

"Gi hehe! That's the answer I was looking for!" Lily came in close and grappled with Ambrose. "It's just as I thought." Lily broke the clinch and circled to his left, waiting for an opening.

"What?" Ambrose's consternation left him unguarded and Lily pressed his advantage with two solid hits that made the human stumble and fall over. Ambrose sat on the matting. Pulled the gloves off, a laugh stirring from the depths of his guts. Louder and louder he chuckled, until he had to wipe tears from the corners of his eyes.

"Thanks, for the fight and the clarity you've imparted." Ambrose rubbed his forehead. "I thought I'd buried this deeper than that."

He stuck out his hand and Lily hauled him to his feet. "Don't feel too bad. I'm an expert at reading people who can't admit their feelings for the special people in their life." Lily grinned slyly, "case in point, my two partners." He paused and added, "though that isn't a problem for them any longer."

"This has been highly illuminating. I'll see you at dinner." Ambrose gave his gloves to one of the footmen clamouring to spar with Lily.

The exceed waved him off and turned to the line of men waiting to fight. "I'm warmed up now, are you ready?"

 

Lunch was a quiet affair. Ambrose was absent. Hitomi was subdued. Hibiki was absorbed with farm problems, Lily was exhausted from sparring and Levy and Gajeel had expended a lot of energy in bed.

"What needs to be done tonight?" Lily took a satisfying slurp of his kiwi juice, "anything major?" He looked over at Hitomi expectantly and then at Hibiki, neither of whom were paying much attention. Shrugging Lily sat back further in his hair and flicked a pea from his plate towards Gajeel.

Gajeel snatched the offending projectile out of the air and glared at his partner. "What the fuck?"

Lily snorted as no one else paid attention to the disturbance. "Just seeing if you still have what it takes."

"Tch. Yeah, I do, and I ain't ever gonna lose it."

Levy giggled and whispered to Gajeel, "I can vouch for that."

Hitomi roused herself from her introspection, joining the conversation. "There's one thing we've lost from our party preparations. It's been missing since just before my husband passed."

"Oh, sorry to hear that." Levy did her best to sound contrite, "if you don't mind my asking, what was it?"

"No worries, I don't mind you asking." Hitomi gave a melancholic smile, "a very special wedding gift I would use for the party. I liked to display flowers in it on the head table."

Rousing out of his own introspection, Hibiki nodded as he listened to the conversation. "Are you talking about that hideous vase Ambrose and I made?"

"Yes," Hitomi said, "I seem to have mislaid it somewhere. I was hoping to use it one last time."

"One last time?" Levy questioned. "Why one last time?"

Hibiki smiled and explained, "Hitomi is allowing me to take over the reins of the charity. It's my family duty to carry on the tradition. She's been burdened with -"

Hitomi sighed and interrupted, "it hasn't been a burden." She smiled graciously at the rest of the table, "it's been my pleasure to be hostess for so long, but as head of the family Hibiki must stand alone." The mood lightened as the older woman laughed gaily, "perhaps he'll find his special someone at the party."

"..." Hibiki flushed red to the tips of his ears, everyone tittering at his embarrassed expression.

"I feel invigorated now," the older woman stated, "let's get to work!"

Gajeel volunteered to assist in the kitchen, Levy and Lily paired up again to change the every day curtains with fancier swathes of fabric, leaving Hibiki and Ambrose to direct the rest of the servants. Hours passed peaceably. The slayer enjoyed his time in the kitchen, chatting with Mary. She held up both sides of the conversation, ably spinning stories of her employers and family alike.

Lily and Levy bonded even further over their artistic fabric arranging. Once that was done, they assisted with dressing the dinner tables with flowers. After every task, they were handed another. Ambrose had arrived and assisted with the party preparations in the ball room an hour into the labour. Work was halted ten minutes before dinner to wash up.

Dinner was much livelier than lunch had been. Ambrose had teased his brother all during the meal, Hibiki taking it with good natured grace. Hitomi had relaxed into more of an older sister persona, and was teasing both of her step-sons. The three mages conversed with their hosts.

All too soon, Hitomi stood up to excuse herself from dinner. "I have a few costume details to work on."

"Go right ahead," Hibiki nodded and then coloured with embarrassment. "I mean, you don't need my permission. Ah," he shook his head, "ignore me. Good night!"

The rest of the table chorused good-night as well as she swept out of the room. Lily rubbed his stomach and addressed Ambrose with his next comment. "How's your bruises?"

"I'm fine, you didn't hit me that hard."

"Gi hehe cat, you losin' your edge?" Gajeel had his arm slung around Levy who was snuggling into his side. "When did you'n'him fight?"

"I needed something to do before lunch that would save my ears from being assaulted," Lily grumbled. "Your 'naps' are noisy."

Hibiki was not paying full attention to the conversation, but sat up straight at the mention of the word 'fight'. "Would you be interested in putting on a demonstration for the party?"

"That's stupid." Ambrose crossed his arms, "no one wants to see me fight -"

His older brother laughed and rolled his eyes, "duh! I wasn't meaning you. I want Gajeel and Lily put on a show of classic fighting moves. How are you with swords?"

"I'm an expert." Lily replied smugly.

"I get by," Gajeel answered. "We're pretty well matched, but I do have the edge."

Levy giggled as Lily shot back, "whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Well, let's go and plan an exhibition the people of Tilden will not soon forget."


	39. The Calm Before the Party

Ambrose gave Levy a small smile as the others swept out of the room. "Looks like it's just me and you."

"I was considering joining them. The last time I was in the library I didn't have the luxury of browsing for pleasure. I was busy with -"

"Pardon me," Ambrose interrupted Levy. "This is awkward, but I would like -"

Levy pushed away from the table, her chair scraping the floor. "Uh, I'm awful flattered, but -"

"I need your help." The younger Tildenson brother let his head thunk down on the table.

Wrinkling her brow, Levy sat back down and asked, "with what?"

Letting out a sigh the male spoke, "What's your opinion of me?"

"I hardly know you." Levy reached over to give his shoulder a tentative pat. "Wouldn't your brother or step-mother be a better choice?"

Ambrose turned and peered at Levy with a sheepish expression. "I have reasons." Groaning he sat upright, "as a female acquaintance, what do you think of me, relationship-wise?"

Levy scooted away a bit further. "Um, you seem like a very popular fellow."

His cheeks dulled with red, "I love a woman far out of my reach."

"Oh!" Levy felt the pit of her stomach drop. "I already have a boyfriend!"

"Eh? I know, the walls and ceilings in this house are not soundproof." Ambrose continued unfazed, "I've loved this woman since I was a youth with a child's passion. I've grown up and my love has matured." His earnest face free of guile relaxed Levy as did his next words, "I need an outsider's view."

"That I can do." The blue haired girl sagged against her chair. "I know it's not any of the girls we ran into on our shopping expedition." She closed her eyes to help her think. "It's not the waitress, though she was interested in you. I haven't even seen you treat the maids here with anything less than respect."

"I don't care as much about status as people seem to think I do." Ambrose shook his head, "I don't care about the age difference either."

"Oh!" Levy clapped her hand over her mouth, shocked at her outburst. She grinned as she dropped her hand and began drumming her fingers on the table. "Why not talk to Mary about this - she's known you and Hitomi for a long time."

Not even trying to deny his romantic aspirations, Ambrose said, "Mary is too close." He sighed, "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm going to see if there's anything the servants need me to do."

"Me too." Levy matched Ambrose's pace to the ballroom. "Maybe thinking is over-rated sometimes." She giggled, "showing devotion can be romantic."

The extra hours spent assisting the workers in the ballroom tired out both Levy and Ambrose. The simple tasks of a repetitive nature gave them lots of time for conversation. By the end of the night Ambrose had a tentative plan; wherein he would show his commitment to Hitomi.

 

Levy knocked on the door of the library on her way to bed. She pushed the door open and peeked inside. A wide smile on her face, she slipped inside to saunter over to the chair Gajeel was settled into. "Wake up."

"M'not sleeping." His droopy eyes gave the lie to his statement.

"Right." Levy gave the room a cursory glance. "Your co-conspirators have left." She sat on his lap and stretched an arm around Gajeel's neck. "It's just me and you. Let's go to bed and I'll show you some devotion."

"Gi hehe Shrimp! Who says we have to go anywhere?"

Levy giggled and squirmed in the slayer's embrace. She twisted to reach his ear and whisper, "I can't seem to get enough - I want you all the time." Her fingers glided under his shirt and came to rest over his rapidly beating heart.

Gajeel's calloused fingertips brushed the side of her breast. A tiny whimper escaped, the sound covered by a masculine grunt of pride. He settled Levy against his groin and spent long minutes teasing her nipples.

The petite woman closed her eyes and lolled her head to the side. Eager lips, tongue and teeth kissed, licked and bit. "Don't leave any marks on my neck Gajeel!"

A muffled chuckle made her stomach clench. Gajeel eased up on the suction, only to move his attention to Levy's ear.

"Fine, no marks on your neck." He bit the earlobe in his teeth, "everywhere else is up for grabs then." He unbuttoned her shirt.

"Oh, ahhhhh-" Levy turned in Gajeel's embrace. The sharp press of his fangs moved down her exposed breast. Wet heat enveloped her nipple. Each pull of suction made the flutters in her stomach dip and leap. Levy panted, fingers tangled in his wild mane of hair. "I'm going to mark you just as much," she exhaled noisily, "next chance I get."

"That just gives me incentive to drive all thought from yer head so you can't remember!"

Levy squirmed against Gajeel, listening to him unzip his trousers was heightening her anticipation. Kisses trailed back up to her lips, his tongue spearing into her mouth. She gasped. Clever fingers explored under her skirt and were busy stroking her sopping wet sex.

Closing her eyes, the woman moaned. Gajeel smirked into their kiss and continued to stimulate Levy with his fingers. The more she jerked her hips, the broader his smile became. The desire for his petite girlfriend had him groaning. Pulling aside the crotch of her panties, Gajeel settled Levy on his cock.

The hiss she made as she slid down his shaft had him getting even harder. "Fuck woman," Gajeel exhaled noisily. He clamped his hands on her hips and assisted her movements up and down. "Show me that devotion you were talking about!"

Excited beyond words, Levy squeezed her internal muscles and panted. Gajeel's strong and calloused hands gripped to hold her steady as she swivelled her hips - her only thought, her need for release. The heat building between them had the both of them oblivious to their surroundings. Gajeel angled his hips, pushing up as Levy bore down.

A few more books tumbled from the shelf as Levy and Gajeel reached completion, the chair coming to a rest amidst a pile of abused tomes. "I'm going to let you carry me up to bed," Levy gasped, "I don't think my legs work right now."

"I was gonna ask you the same thing, gi hehe!"

 

Breakfast was a little late and meagre. Ambrose assured his guests that it was far better to approach the party with hunger, the better to enjoy the spread of food. "Besides, lunch is always a picnic culled from the supper preparation 'failures'," he grinned, "the items that don't pass muster for presentation."

"And we have the picnic to keep from fussing with the final party details." Hitomi smiled, "a bit of relaxation before dressing for the party. I am looking forward to seeing the attractive men of the town parading about in gentlemanly finery."

Gajeel grunted, Lily nodded slightly and the elder of the two brothers chuckled. Ambrose dropped his napkin and rose from the table. "Such flattery, but you're going to have to wait for tonight to feast your eyes on me." He sauntered to the doorway, turning and waving goodbye.

"Promises, promises," Hitomi called after his retreating figure. She forced a laugh, "he was always such a funny child." She rose from her chair, "I'm going to check on a few things for the party. There's one last spot I want to check for the vase." She nodded in response to the 'goodbye's from the people still sitting at the table, and made her escape.

"Well, there are a few other things we can do to assist in the preparations before we're chased away." Hibiki offered, "a last minute check of the master list against chores completed - there may be one or two items that need finishing."

"And if there isn't?" Gajeel nudged Levy and gave her a heavy lidded look, "maybe a nap before lunch?"

Lily sighed, "Lord, I hope there's something that needs doing."

Both Levy and Gajeel turned to leer at the exceed. In unison they spoke, "always!"

Deciding to ignore the unsettling vibes he was getting from the mages, Hibiki shrugged. "Well, I'm going to my office and I'll be back here with the list in a few minutes."

Shaking his head, Lily snagged another kiwi and took a bite. "Can't you two keep your paws off each other?"

"Aw Lily, you jealous?" Levy crooned, "you know, I've never seen you with a girlfriend. I know there's a settlement of exceeds around somewhere. When Extalia was destroyed and Edolas ejected all magic users, they had to come to Earthland."

"That's true, all exceeds from Extalia are here on Earthland." Lily toyed with his water glass. "That's a story for another day." Hibiki re-entered the room. Lily spoke brightly, "I hope there's separate jobs for each of us."

Pleased with the exceed's extreme enthusiasm, the sandy haired man grinned. "You can have first choice if you want! The dais for the instruments needs levelling, flowers need arranging and the kitchen is down a sous-chef."

"Flower arranging suits me." Lily saluted his partners. "See ya."

"Dibs on kitchen work!" Gajeel gloated, "I'm a good cook."

Levy took pity on the shell-shocked Hibiki. "Don't look like that, I'm a solid scrip mage. Getting the dais level is going to be a snap with my magic." She teased, "be happy the guitars didn't need tuning."

He shuddered, "you're right about that."

Gajeel frowned, "that's mean. Me and my musical genius are gonna report to the kitchen."

"Have fun!" Levy got up from the table too, "see you at lunch Gajeel." A 'mmph' was her only answer. Smiling at Hibiki, Levy held onto the back of her chair. "Uh, do you have a minute?"

"Of course. What do you need?"

"It's more like, what does your brother need." Levy pushed the chair up against the table. Her next words poured out in a rush. "I think your brother needs your support."

"I've been supporting my brother for years," Hibiki frowned. "He could get a job if he wanted, I've never forced him to do anything. It's his choice."

A bit flustered, Levy shook her head hard. "Not monetary support - emotional support." Taking a deep breath, Levy decided her helping Ambrose meant she needed to discuss Hitomi with Hibiki.

 

The grass on the patch of lawn selected for the picnic was just as deeply green and manicured as the rest. The decision to have it in the furthest corner was tradition. Even now, a small army of servants were grooming the gardens, cleaning the already spotless windows of the mansion and performing mysterious tasks.

"We're out of the way of last minute preparations." Hitomi smiled and sat cross-legged on the patterned blanket. "The calm before the storm."

Levy leaned into Gajeel's embrace and shifted her curious gaze over the Tildenson family. Hitomi was dressed in casual jeans and over-sized t-shirt; a tight braid coiled on top of her head. Hibiki and Ambrose were wearing almost identical outfits, khakis and matching olive drab long-sleeve shirts.

"I guess there's no real point in getting fancy before the party, huh?" Levy relaxed further as Gajeel ran his hand down her arm and gently squeezed. "I'm so excited to meet more of the townsfolk, but sad because we'll be leaving for home after."

"There's no reason you couldn't come visiting us later Levy." Hitomi flushed, "I mean if Hibiki issued an invitation -"

"Don't fuss over semantics Hitomi. You're family and you and your friends are welcome no matter what." Grinning and easily dismissing any potential problems, Hibiki opened the basket of food. "Let's eat!"

 

"The picnic was so nice!" Levy stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. "I can't wait to clean up and get ready for the party. The dress I get to wear is soooo beautiful!"

"I'm looking forward to it too," Gajeel walked behind Levy and nipped her shoulder. "Lookin' forward to taking it off ya."

Squealing and twisting out of his grip, Levy turned to face her lover. "You will have to wait."

"I know, I know," he grumbled, "Good things come to those who wait."

"Yes, now if you don't mind - I need some alone time to get ready." Levy pushed gently on his chest. Gajeel backed up, a confused look on his face. "Alone, by myself."

"Aw Shrimp, what's with the shy routine?"

"Can't I just want to surprise you? Now go and use your old room." Levy propelled the slayer to the door. "Mary told me she would hang up your costume there for me."

Gajeel snorted and gave in. "Fine. Don't see what the big deal is, but fine." He pressed a kiss to Levy's brow and stalked out of the room.

"What, am I five?" Levy joked as Gajeel went to his previously assigned room. He turned back and grinned, "I don't get what I want means you don't get what you want."

With a sweet smile Levy nodded, "same goes for you - see you in a few hours."


	40. Intimate Friends

Levy had just wrapped herself in a towel when a knock sounded on her door. "I told you Gajeel, good things come to those who wait!"

"I'm not Gajeel, but I certainly hope what I bring is good!" Mary smiled at Levy who peered at her from behind the door. Like a fairy god-mother, the maid flourished the party dress. "I'm here to assist you in getting ready for the ball."

"I'm sure you must have lots of other duties," Levy tried to demur. "Or maybe you should be resting right now?"

"I'm not taking 'no' for an answer." The older woman hung the silver dress on the back of the door. She opened the garment bag and withdrew the slip. "You put this on and I'll lay out the sparkly trinkets." Pointing to the washroom, she giggled. "I suggest going commando. Visible panty lines would ruin the drape of your dress."

At a loss for words, Levy obediently accepted the gossamer thin garment. Her cheeks flaming, she scuttled into the smaller room. Levy put the undergarment on and took some practice steps about the washroom. Feeling wicked at the soft slide of fabric over sensitive skin, Levy felt her lips grow from a hesitant smile to a feline smirk.

Her heart raced in anticipation. No one would be able to tell she'd forgone underwear. No one would even think such a thing of her. Tonight was for fun.

"Come on out, time for the main event," Mary shook the garment free of imagined creases. The many layers of filmy gauze caressed Levy as it seemed to float and settle into place. "This is just wonderful!" Mary zipped the costume snug. "Your young man is going to lose his shit over this dress."

Her eyes wide in disbelief, the petite girl turned around to gape at Mary. The older woman gave her a broad wink. Levy broke out laughing, "you're too funny!

The maid stepped over to the dresser where the costume jewellery had been scattered. Mary picked up two necklaces and gestured to Levy. "Come sit in front of the mirror. Which one do you like better?"

"They're both beautiful." Levy ran her finger over the more delicate chain. "This one has the same style of links as the dress."

"Hitomi designed both." Nodding in agreement with herself, Mary put the other necklace down. "Let me put this on for you."

Levy held her hair out of the way and dipped her head forward. Mary fastened the accessory, then picked up the hairbrush. "I'm quite handy with hairdressing. I had two boys, but I've got over half a dozen nieces that still adore playing hairdresser with me."

About to refuse the assistance, Levy locked eyes in the mirror with the smiling maid. "Well...if you're sure you don't mind?"

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it. Let's put it up in a simple style that suits your heart-shaped face." A soft chuckle accompanied her next words, "some people we both know put up a bit of a front. They're too busy worrying about how others see them and aren't honest with their feelings."

Mary began brushing Levy's shining blue hair. The gentle tugging of the bristles were rhythmic and relaxing. The mage let out a sigh. "You seem to know all about Ambrose and Hitomi."

"I've worked for this family even before I started my own." She smiled, "they deserve some happiness. They each think they've hidden how they feel about each other." Mary tied off a section of hair and began to pin it in place.

Mary continued to work on taming her curls as Levy separated a pair of simple earrings from the mass of filigreed jewellery. She confided, "Ambrose actually came to me for an outsider's view." Next Levy laid all the bracelets side-by-side. "I don't know if I helped or hindered."

"Ambrose only asks for opinions after he's made up his mind." Mary placed more pins into Levy's hair. "He's finally serious."

"You seem quite on point with the whole situation." Levy gave up on reading the woman's reflection and turned around to face the maid directly. "I take it you know what Mr. Tildenson wrote in his letter to his younger son."

"Ah, not the exact words, but like I said before," Mary patted Levy on the shoulder, "The late Gerald Tildenson treated me like family. He wasn't afraid to confide in me." She wagged her finger at the younger woman. "I can't finish your hair if you don't turn back."

"Sorry." Levy settled facing the mirror once more. "I want to help them. Ambrose seemed sincere in wanting to tell Hitomi how he feels." She drummed her fingers on the edge of the dresser. "I just don't know how to approach Hitomi."

"Too bad so many of the town's girls don't have that problem when they flirt with Ambrose." Mary commented acerbically.

That sparked an idea. Levy grinned at Mary in the mirror, "that will be the center point to our scheme!" They cemented a plan as Mary continued to work on Levy's coiffure.

Gajeel had waited for Levy for what seemed like an eon. He'd finally lost patience and gone to knock on her door. "Lemme in Shrimp."

"Uh, not just yet!" Levy touched the flowers tucked into her hair which were starting to droop. "I need a few more minutes."

"I can hear another large group of guests arriving. I thought you'd want to show up before it was crowded." The slayer leaned with his head touching the door. "I never knew you liked being late."

Mary hid a smile as Levy twisted her hands in her lap. With deft fingers, the maid plunged a bobby pin into the mass of hair. She flourished another pin decorated with tiny links that matched the dress. "It may be a little bit longer than that - we have hair ornaments to use as well."

"I'll meet you downstairs Gajeel." Levy gave a smile to Mary and added, "I'm sure you'll be able to find me when the time comes."

"I'll be waiting downstairs then." Gajeel fought back a disappointed sigh. He really wanted to see Levy wearing her costume...and then remove it. Or maybe just not panties. He grinned. The garden would be full of party-goers, but his sharp slayer senses could guide them to a secluded corner.

His spirits soaring, Gajeel brushed off imaginary specks of dirt from the sleeves of his coat. Catching sight of himself in a hallway mirror, he straightened the heavily embroidered cuffs and adjusted his hat to a rakish angle. While not normally vain, Gajeel wanted Levy to be unable to keep her hands off him. Girls seemed to put a lot of importance on appearances for such social events. Puffing out his chest and striking a pose, Gajeel laughed at his reflection.

He strode past several beautiful flower arrangements as he headed downstairs. His mind was still buzzing with naughty thoughts of Levy. Sudden inspiration struck - he would pin flowers to his costume to share with Levy. She'd love it. Gajeel filched enough from the next floral display to make a posy, finding the orange blossoms familiar.

 

Alone in her bedroom; Hitomi sat at her vanity, her hands supporting her chin. She closed her eyes and focused on deep inhalations and slow exhalations. A list with only a few tasks not crossed out laid crumpled in front of her. A large red circle was penned over the last item.

She'd searched everywhere she could think. The ugly vase her step-children had made for her wedding gift was missing. Hitomi's temples were throbbing. It was her personal tradition to display it prominently. At first it was to show her husband she was stellar step-mother material. In later years, it was to reinforce her status as 'taken', 'unavailable'. The hideous decoration was a shield of sorts, keeping a distance between her and her step-sons.

With a shake of her dark green hair, Hitomi squared her shoulders. She stiffened her spine and gazed into her mirror, forcing a smile. Unleashing a huff of air, her smile turned bitter. Lips quirking, she snatched the headache inducing paper and threw it into the garbage. Just because she didn't display the vase, didn't mean there wasn't a gulf of time between her and Ambrose. She didn't need a physical reminder that she was a widow and quite a few years older. Her will was all that was required - firm and unyielding.

Hitomi dabbed dots of a sweet smelling unguent over her face. Using only her fingertips, she spread it. Hitomi rolled her shoulders, trying to ease her sudden tension. She craned her head left and then right, spying the as-yet ignored letter Ambrose - no, better to call him her step-son - wanted her to read. It was peeking out from under the corner of an anchoring book.

Without consciously deciding, her fingers reached towards the missive. She sat in front of the mirror, watching herself remove the stiff parchment from the envelope. The spidery curlicues of Gerald Tildenson's writing was incomprehensible reflected. With a broken sob, the woman crumpled the letter. It joined the list in the garbage receptacle.

Furious with herself, Hitomi clenched a fist and struck a blow on the vanity. Her make-up jumped. More breathing exercises settled her nerves. Forcing her mind to keep to the task of beautifying herself, Hitomi began to paint courage over her face.

 

Hibiki paced. He wore a military styled greatcoat over an embroidered chemise and jabot. His pants were in fact more like knee breeches... perhaps exactly like. Hibiki's unease with sporting such an old-fashioned mode of dress made him unable to settle down. Becoming the host of the charity fund-raiser was stressful. Wearing the ornate vintage clothes was even more bothersome.

He glanced at the ornate clock on the sideboard. A scant five minutes had elapsed from the last time he'd looked. The lace around his neck was not to his liking. It was too pristine, any dirt would show immediately. The jabot was too ostentatious, scratchy and pretty for his taste. Without conscious decision, his fingers began to loosen the knot at his throat.

"A-hem. I did not spend fifteen minutes on the perfect fold for you to muss my work." A vigorous toe-tapping accompanied these words and Lily frowned. "I will not be responsible for your health if you continue to desecrate your costume." His hand dropped to the hilt of his sword.

As fast as he could manage, Hibiki pulled his offending fingers off his neckwear. "Ah, sorry."

"See to it that you don't, or I might get in some more sword practice with you."

Reminded of the entertainment planned for the height of the ball, Hibiki forgot his nerves at playing host and began to discuss the sword fight in great detail with Lily. The servants bustled back and forth with final touches for the ballroom and dining area. Caught up in the conversation, it took a servant grasping his elbow and loudly speaking his name for Hibiki to realize the first of many party-goers were arriving.

"Thanks for keeping me occupied Lily." Hibiki admired the dashing figure the exceed possessed. While Hibiki felt like a foppish dandy in his fancy clothes, Lily looked accustomed to court finery. He looked like he'd worn clothes fit for a prince many times before, the brilliant red of his coat a perfect foil to his ebony fur.

"Let's go. You can grab a drink while I work the receiving line, I'm sure Hitomi and Ambrose are already in place."

"Certainly!" Lily doffed his hat and gave a perfect knightly bow to his host, "after you M'lord."

As intended, Hibiki laughed and strode towards the grand ballroom. His head was up, his shoulders back and a confident pep to his step.

 

A gentle swell of voices approached where the Tildenson family waited, just inside the ballroom. The double doors were held open by heavy urns filled with floral arrangements. Hitomi stood flanked by her step-sons, both of whom were arguing.

Ambrose sneered, "I say the entertainment should be right after dinner!"

"It needs to be later," Hibiki shook his head. "After a couple hours of dancing."

"I have a feeling I'm going to be busy," he glanced over at Hitomi and then back to his brother. "I don't want to miss what's sure to be talked about for years to come."

"Let's discuss this later, shall we?" Hitomi gave her best regal impression, "we have guests arriving right now. Can we show a united front?" Her hand holding a giant plumed fan shook a minute amount. "As if what I'm wearing isn't going to be what our neighbours remember the most." She gave a delicate snort and closed her accessory in order to smack each of her step-sons. "Focus!"

"Black is a perfectly ordinary choice for a widow," Ambrose said, then rubbed his shoulder where he'd been hit. The generous amount of skin on display was a bold choice, but one he could support. The year of mourning was all but complete and life was meant for the living after all. Life meant taking risks too. Before his brain could sensor his mouth, Ambrose gave a compliment to his late father's wife. "But tonight you have never looked less ordinary."

Hibiki looked befuddled and spoke much louder than he had intended, "eh?" Neither Ambrose nor Hitomi spared him any attention.

Hitomi flicked open her fan again, raising it to obscure her smile. "Faint praise from you dear boy, is always treasured."

Hibiki looked back and forth over at his brother and then their step-mother. He tried to read their expressions. Confused, he decided to ignore their banter.

The first guests made their way down the receiving line. For the most part, old etiquette was in use; the senior butler announced the major landowner's name in each group of attendees. After trading greetings with the Tildenson family the party goers mingled, spreading over the immense room and spilling outside to the garden.

Gajeel caused a minor stir. His height and dark menacing aura garnered attention from men and women alike. Gossiping whispers scuttled around the room as Hitomi made a fuss greeting the slayer. She allowed her fan to drop, dangling from a silken cord around her wrist. Taking both Gajeel's hands in hers, Hitomi stepped close to murmur her thanks for his attendance. Hitomi made sure to smile widely for her audience. Many stared, with few hiding their intense curiosity.

Hitomi had shook many hands in greeting, even had her hands kissed by a few of the older generation males who fancied themselves gentry. She glanced over the crowd, noting the few genuine smiles amidst a sea of jealous stares and sour faces. Determined to cause the most amount of intrigue, Hitomi pressed her lips to Gajeel's cheek. She trilled a false laugh and waved him on his way. "Always a pleasure to see you!"

The next guest in the receiving line ignored Ambrose and Hibiki to rush over to Hitomi's side. "I'll take a kiss too!"

"Only for family and intimate friends." Hitomi drawled. She snapped open her fan and fluttered her eyelashes. "Mr. Coltrain, what would Mrs. Coltrain say?"

"She's home with a twisted ankle." He laughed heartily, rubbing the fabric of his waistcoat over his expansive paunch. "What Mildred doesn't know won't hurt her!"

"You're so funny!" Hitomi pointed to the doors leading outside to the gardens. "I see your daughter and her husband over there. I'm sure they would love to see you."

"I'll be seeing you later then." Mr. Coltrain added a lecherous grin, "lots of you I hope."

Ambrose elbowed his brother. "I'm done. I'm getting a drink."

Hibiki nodded, the next group of people were already talking to him. Hitomi almost pushed the decades older man away. Soon after, the receiving line thinned and dispersed. Hitomi gave a regal nod to her last acquaintance. She began to walk towards her private 'recovery' room to repair any damages to her make-up.

She accepted wine from a passing waiter and downed it, then exchanged the empty for a full one. With a faint smile, she thanked the server. Hitomi cruised past several people that looked as if they were dying to talk to her. The green haired woman quickened her steps, hurrying around the corner and dashing into her sanctuary.

Panting, she closed the door and locked it.

An unexpected voice spoke. "I have something for you I think you'll want."


	41. Winter Garden

Hitomi whirled around, sloshing her drink over her hands and into Ambrose's face. The liquid sluiced down and saturated his white shirt.

Torn between wanting to rail at Ambrose for startling her and apologizing for soiling his shirt, Hitomi sighed. Setting her empty glass down, she fished out her handkerchief from between her breasts. Dabbing at the ruby splotches all over her step-son, she began to giggle. "I fear I have ruined this as well!'

Ambrose shook off his coat, allowing it to drop on the floor. He pulled off the ruined shirt before Hitomi realized his actions. She continued to dab at his naked chest with the splotched handkerchief. Only stopping when Ambrose clasped his hand overtop hers.

"I have lots of shirts."

Hitomi blinked fast then sighed. "But not the vintage style appropriate for the costume party."

"You think I give a real goddamn about that?" Ambrose shrugged, "I can get a regular white shirt and keep my jacket on - problem solved." He pried the wet linen square from Hitomi's hand and threw it into the garbage. "I said I had something for you, don't you want it?"

 

The older woman escorted Levy downstairs, assuring her the plan would unfold well. Mary was staff and knew everyone in town and countryside. She would be able to steer certain ladies towards Ambrose at the appropriate time.

"You look stunning Levy my dear!" Mary smiled and made one last adjustment to a curl of hair. "Some of my best work ever! Of course I did start with a lovely canvas." She winked and pointed to the double doors flanked by a team of footmen. "Go have fun with your delicious man. Don't worry about Hitomi and Ambrose too much. We'll help them, but their happy-ever-after is for them to work towards."

"Thank you Mary!" Levy gave the maid a slow nod, "you're right, Gajeel is delicious." She giggled, "don't let him know I said that! But yeah, I'll do what I can to help Hitomi and Ambrose see that their happy-ever-after is possible."

Levy put her shoulders back and strode towards the party with confidence. The footmen greeted her and opened the doors, ushering her inside. Scanning the room filled with people, she saw Hibiki making his way towards her.

Gajeel was trapped in a boring conversation with a loud landowner when he caught a whiff of his partner. He smiled with all his teeth, causing the man to falter with his flow of words. Gajeel thrust out his hand and shook the man's hand with energy. "Thanks for the talk. I see someone important now - you know how it is." The slayer turned around and began following the olfactory trail.

Levy was a bit disappointed that Gajeel hadn't greeted her upon her entrance into the party. Having Hibiki escort and introduce her to several townsfolk made up for some of the lack.

"Pleased to meet you," Levy smiled at the next group of Hibiki's friends. "Your town is quite wonderful to visit." None of them answered her. Levy looked each of them in the face. They all were staring wide-eyed over her shoulder.

The petite girl whirled around and pounded the glaring Gajeel on his chest. "This is a party! No rudeness!"

"Hey! I been waiting a long time!" Gajeel sharpened his gaze at the onlookers. He bared his teeth. "Scat!" They dispersed.

Hibiki reached out to pat Gajeel on the arm and then thought the better of it, tapping himself on the cheek instead. "Glad you two found each other, I'm going to mingle." He chuckled weakly and vanished.

Levy craned her neck, looking up at Gajeel's face glowering down. "What?"

"I don't like you surrounded by other men."

"I don't like you being kissed by other women." Levy frowned, continuing in a much calmer tone. "I know Hitomi only did it for shock value, but everyone I have conversed with has seen fit to warn me."

Gajeel's smile built and burst, "you jealous?"

"I'm lots of things," Levy answered. "You're going to be making up to me all night."

"Ghee hihi!" Gajeel offered his arm to Levy. "Walk with me."

Levy tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and allowed her partner to lead her toward the gardens.

 

"I don't need anything from you Ambrose." Hitomi wrenched her eyes away from his naked chest to finally look into his eyes. Not much better of a choice - his soulful eyes were soft and pleading. She wrung her hands together.

"Be that as it may, needing and wanting are two different things." Ambrose gave a wry grin. "I found your vase."

Ambrose watched with careful intent as Hitomi tried to hide her emotions. He could feel his heart race as he interpreted the myriad subtle changes of her expression. Her eyebrows raised up the slightest amount. Her lips twitched as if to smile before firming into a prim line.

Hitomi fought against reacting. It was hard, but years of pretending her step-son was only a step-son had been perfect practice. She reached up to tuck a curl behind her ear, hiding her lips as she bit them. "Well, thanks for finding the vase."

Ambrose plucked an orange bloom from the container and presented it to her. "Can you take this?"

"I could, but I shouldn't." Hitomi clutched her skirt with fingers that trembled and shook her head. "I'm not the woman you need."

Ambrose snorted, "like I said, need and want are two separate things." He grabbed Hitomi by the chin, pressed himself against her and claimed a kiss. Ambrose shifted to caress Hitomi's jaw, slipping down her neck as she opened her mouth. A triumphant groan sounded in his chest. He glided his tongue against hers; licking, tasting, exploring.

His other hand snaked around her waist, holding her secure. Hitomi relaxed into his embrace. Ambrose slid his hand up the smooth skin of Hitomi's back. The forgotten blossom tickled her spine. Hitomi pressed against the young man harder. Her breasts already overflowing her bodice spilled out and Ambrose fondled the stiffened nipples.

Harsh breathing filled the room. Ambrose couldn't remember ever being this excited. He sucked on Hitomi's tongue and then latched onto a breast. He had no way of knowing each powerful pull of suction made Hitomi's stomach flutter. He switched to her other nipple, giving her teasing licks before sucking hard.

Hitomi let her head loll back. She sank her fingers into Ambrose's dark hair, keeping him thrust into her bosom. Thinking was impossible. Hitomi was now only a creature of sensation. She panted, lips dry as Ambrose feathered kisses over her neck.

Ambrose pulled Hitomi backward with him to the edge of the fainting couch. He rucked up her skirt and sat Hitomi upon his knee. Ambrose cupped Hitomi's cheeks and kissed her, delving his tongue inside her mouth.

Hitomi panted, she wanted and needed more delicious friction. She rode his leg, gripping him with her bare thighs. Her stockings only went to her knee, she'd forgone every other type of undergarment.

Never breaking their kiss, Ambrose explored under Hitomi's skirt. He found the satin skin of her bare leg and moved his hand to her centre. His aching erection was threatening his control. He opened his eyes to see Hitomi's glazed with passion. Ambrose stroked himself through his pants and then dipped a finger inside Hitomi.

A frisson of anticipation danced all along her nerves and Hitomi shuddered. Her hands gripped Ambrose's shoulders tight. She angled her hips and pressed against his finger, moving her groin back and forth. Hitomi sighed then moaned as Ambrose filled her with another finger. She rode his hand.

Realizing she hadn't given near as much as she'd been taking, Hitomi rubbed Ambrose's cock through his pants. Her breasts shook as she bounced on his fingers. Her passion burst into a towering flame that made the woman shriek. The young man swallowed her noise with a kiss then fumbled with his pant's placket. Hitomi slid off Ambrose, her breath slowing.

Ambrose clutched his shaft with digits wet with Hitomi's essence. Stroking it forcefully up and down he soon had his own orgasm. He took a deep shuddering breath and grinned lazily at Hitomi. "Do you understand how need and want can be two different things?" He withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket then wiped himself and crammed it back.

"I have always understood that fine distinction." Hitomi lowered her skirt and settled her breasts into her bodice. "Now if you'll please leave, I must repair my appearance." She gave a cool look to her step-son and then turned her face away from him, only to gaze upon the flower filled vase. "I'll be sure to put my wedding gift where it belongs - at the head table."

"I don't think you do understand - I thought you read father's letter." Ambrose knew the situation was reeling out of his control, but was unable to tamp down his emotions. "You must've opened it." He tucked himself away and fastened his pants, watching Hitomi's reflection.

"I didn't."

"You let me kiss you, touch you, please you - what was I supposed to think?" Ambrose stood up and touched Hitomi's back. "We can do what we want."

"Please leave." She moved a few paces away.

"We're not done." Ambrose placed a tender kiss on the older woman's nape, "maybe not ever."

She whirled around, "there is no 'we' - I'm alone as I ever was." Her eyes sparkled with pent tears, "can you see that? Just now was an old woman making a mistake."

"I can be just as stubborn as you." Ambrose gave her a gentle smile. "For now I'll withdraw - but we're going to be together."

"You're young." Hitomi sighed, "how long could I keep your interest?" She hugged herself. "Go. I have duties to uphold and I must straighten my appearance."

Ambrose donned his ruined shirt and then snatched his jacket from the floor. He faced Hitomi as he buttoned his garment over the worst of the stains. Tired of holding his feelings back, he spoke with conviction. "The years between us don't matter. I loved you as a child and now I love you as a man." Ambrose plucked another flower from the vase and proffered it to Hitomi. "I love you, nothing else matters."

She stood still as denials piled up in her throat. Unable to say anything, she clutched herself tighter. Hitomi looked down and away from the blossom.

"I want you to find happiness - but I'd prefer if you found it with me." Ambrose tucked the bud behind Hitomi's ear before giving her a brief but intense kiss. "Think about it." Spinning on his heel, Ambrose left the room.

Hitomi sank onto the chaise and let silent sobs wrack her frame. Fear swept its cold fingers into every corner of her brain. The love she'd denied herself for so long was hanging on a low branch. She could allow it to drop into her hands, but what if holding onto it proved too difficult? Having the dream was safe, making it come to fruition could ruin it. The possibility of love had kept her warm on many lonely nights. She might never recover from the tarnish of failure.

 

Hibiki smiled at his guests. What he wanted was to snarl and throw out the latest insensitive clods to ask where the real hostess was, but that was not possible at the moment. Being the inheritor of the Tildenson Manor meant having at least a little bit of class. He grit his teeth as the rude bastard actually turned around to look for Hitomi.

"She's no doubt busy with something important for our guests' comfort." He played with the edge of his lace frilled cuff. "Have you made out your donation to our cause?" Inside he gloated. Asking for jewels was a sure-fire method to make insensitive guests run away. His idea bore fruit - the whole group looked at one another and began babbling excuses. Hibiki allowed them to leave.

Grabbing a fresh glass of punch off a passing tray, Hibiki searched the crowd for his brother. He saw Lily surrounded by a mix of townsfolk and off-duty servants talking. He spied the broad shoulders of Gajeel guiding his girlfriend out the garden doors. Turning back he spotted Ambrose stalking towards him.

"Enjoying the party so far?" Hibiki could've cut off his tongue at the inanity coming out of his mouth. Cheeks dulling with embarrassment, he gulped his beverage.

"Things could be better, but actually are going according to what I thought." Ambrose stopped in front of his brother and crossed his arms. "I have a favour to ask of you."

 

Levy allowed Gajeel to use his menacing aura to clear their path. Gajeel never had to do more than growl low in his throat for other costumed guests to scamper away. Once they'd reached further into the far-flung areas of the garden Levy grabbed Gajeel's hand, dragging him past the last party lantern - towards where the late Mr. Tildenson had hidden his will in the Winter Garden.

The faded hay manger was still bereft of feed, but it was not needed - the grass was lush underfoot. The adult trees towered over the two mages. Full leafy branches hid the sky and provided a secret bower. The party was only a muffled hum of voices and noise.

Levy looked up at Gajeel, biting the inside of her cheek. Waiting for her slayer to say or do something. A compliment would be nice, even talking about the weather would be acceptable. No, he should be amazed with her transformation. The dress was magnificent and Levy felt like a fairy princess. Levy sighed. Wanting compliments for something so shallow as looks was beneath her. She didn't love Gajeel for only his looks. Gaining empty praise wouldn't make her a better person.

Gajeel knelt down to come level with Levy's face. "Shrimp, whatcha thinkin' about that's got your pretty face scrunched up?" He chucked her under the chin. "Keep frowning and I'll have no choice other than give you something better to think about. Ghee hi hi!"

"N-nothing Gajeel." Levy put her shoulders back and hands on hips. "We're committed to each other but it's a little bit weird." Gajeel beetled his brows and Levy hurried to speak again. "Through certain actions I know you're," she blushed and blinked rapidly. "Ah, you like me in more than a just-friends way."

"Let me get this straight Shrimp." The slayer stood to his full height unclipping his cloak to fall unheeded on the grass. He crossed his arms and let his face go blank. "Did we not have a conversation about being mates?"

"..." Levy pursed her lips. "Refresh my memory."

Gajeel smirked, "you're feeling insecure, ain't cha? Don't worry, there's nobody better here than you." He immediately felt remorse as Levy's lips trembled and her eyes dropped down to survey her feet. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"How did you mean it then?" Levy snapped. "I'm not a dragon. I'm a human and I need more words to go with being your mate. Do you really love me?" She slapped her hands over her mouth too late to stay her words. Big hazel eyes shone with tears barely held in check.

"I have some words for you then." Gajeel dropped to sit cross-legged on his cloak. After patting his knee he held out a hand to Levy. "Get close and listen good."

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm acting like this!" Levy took a step back rubbing her stomach. "I only had one drink..."

"Take my hand." Gajeel waggled his fingers, "we're gonna hash this out right now."


	42. Happiness Should Be Fought For

"I want to know what's the only thing I can do for you, that no one else can do?" Levy rubbed her stomach. At Gajeel's look of consternation, Levy blanched. "Was that just a line?"

"What are you talking about?" Gajeel kept his hand outstretched and pleaded with his eyes. "I thought we were in a good spot with us. Don't you know me better than that? Using a line is something along Jet and Droy's style."

"Don't bring my friends into this." Levy winced, the contents of her stomach were beginning to curdle. "From the beginning, before this mission. When we took that picnic basket from Lucy and Natsu - you said, and I quote, 'I can tell you the speed of this favour will depend solely on you. If you're not the one to help me, it can't be accomplished.' "

"Let me hold your hand." Gajeel gulped as his face tinged pink and his hand trembled.

Levy mustered her courage and took hold, letting the contact of warm skin soothe her nerves. She looked into his dark red eyes and searched; finding worry and shame. "I recall exactly what you said. It was so important to me I found it easy to memorize."

"My memory ain't as good as yours, but I do know my intentions behind my words." Gajeel's voice was a soft echo of his normal gruff tones. "You ain't gotta do anything but be yourself."

"Just be myself? What sort of debt is that?"

With a extended sigh, Gajeel pulled Levy onto his knee and cuddled her close. "I was hopin' to avoid explaining."

"That's not a good enough answer." Levy sighed and relaxed a bit against the broad wall of Gajeel's chest. "You're strong, tough...what sort of skills do I possess that you need?"

"A-hem." A polite forced cough brought the two mages out of their private moment. Levy stiffened again, turned to look up and saw Lily who was doing his best to wish himself away.

Levy asked, "Yes?"

"Whaddaya want?" Gajeel had no compunctions against snarling his displeasure. "Me'n Shrimp are busy right now."

"I was sent to collect you." Lily adjusted the fall of his neck cloth and glared right back at his slayer partner. "Supper is soon. You don't want to miss that, and we're part of the entertainment. Hibiki is getting nervous."

"Well I don't care -"

Levy clapped her hand over Gajeel's mouth, smothering his objections. She accepted Lily's help to stand. "We'll continue this later."

Gajeel frowned as Lily escorted Levy away without a backwards glance. The slayer picked his cape off the ground and shook it clean. A compressed mat of faded orange blossoms flew out of a concealed tear in the lining. It came to rest near the weathered boards of the hay feeder. Gajeel hurried to catch up, never noticing the flowers left behind.

 

Inside the ballroom, groups stood gossiping. Hitomi held court. A large collection of middle-aged to ancient men; all eyeing her magnificent bosom. Their respective girlfriends and wives were in another loose collection by the punchbowl. Complaints and jokes abounded; all touching on Hitomi and her lifestyle.

"She never changes." A tall and thin ascetic faced woman said. "I allow Harold this silliness." She sniffed and dabbed at her nose with a handkerchief. "It makes him more amendable to my wishes later when he thinks he's gotten away with something."

"Goodness yes!" An even taller and plump woman spoke next. "I don't mind at all." She giggled. "My Steven is such a handful after these sorts of events!"

A younger girl engaged to one of the oldest men orbiting Hitomi, scowled. "I worked hard to trap my man and watching her flirt is making me sick." An ugly look of jealousy twisted her features. "She's a slut."

Ambrose had heard it all before. People were quick to judge whether they knew anything or not. He changed course and intercepted the clique of women. Exuding all the charisma he could, Ambrose smiled at the young woman whose name was Maisie. "Good evening. Glad you and your betrothed could make it to the fundraiser." Ambrose spread his charm over the rest of the group. "You all have fantastic costumes." Touching Maisie's elbow, Ambrose kept his contempt for her under tight wrap. "I'd ask for you to save a dance for me -"

Maisie clapped her hands and let out an excited squeal. "I'd love to dance with you!"

Finishing his thought like the interruption never happened, Ambrose adopted a more understanding demeanour. " - but I'd hate for your friends to think you were a slut for such a simple thing." Ambrose let his smile drop. "Hitomi has only ever tried to fit in and serve this community."

Maisie gaped like a fish out of water. Realizing the enormity of her faux pas, she whirled away and ran for the garden exit.

Ambrose gave a mocking bow, turned and left. He squared his shoulders and walked slow, refusing to run from ignorance. He grit his teeth as each group he passed seemed to be gossiping over Hitomi. Voices, male and female alike were talking about Hitomi. It didn't matter to Ambrose if the talk was complimentary or more benign in nature. Why did people who didn't know her think they had the right to pass judgement?

He came to a rest near the raised dais holding the musicians. Ambrose accepted a wine glass from a passing server and sipped. The plump woman from before approached, her hand held out in supplication. "Please listen. Not everyone has her opinions of Hitomi. Maisie isn't that smart and Trudy was always a sour cow, but I've always wished I could be more like Hitomi. We used to be firm friends in our youth."

"Oh?" Ambrose took another swallow of his drink. He took note of the fine net of wrinkles around the woman's eyes and mouth. She wore a demure gown that did nothing to disguise years of affluent living. Kindness and intelligence burned in her eyes.

"I settled for a comfortable life with an older man. I'd had the same choice as Hitomi. Oh, perhaps not near exactly close, but similar given me being older." She smiled, and in that smile Ambrose saw the determination to share her personal truth. "Certain versus uncertain. A choice made to give others in my life the security they needed at the cost of my youth."

"I must excuse myself," Ambrose drained his glass. "My apologies to you, I see you're not cut from the same cloth as your companions."

"I don't care one fig about that." The woman adopted a chiding tone and took hold of his hands and squeezed. "There's no controlling what others do, there's only you in charge of you - life is too short to waste." Another strong press from the woman and she let go.

"Have you taken your own advice?" Ambrose asked his question without much thought.

His conversational companion giggled; years seemed to drop as mirth took hold. "As soon as I could!" She pointed to a man who looked to be her contemporary in age even if a full head shorter. "My second husband. I won't bore you with further details - just know that happiness should be fought for."

"Please enjoy tonight's festivities." Ambrose watched the woman stride over and join her husband. He kissed her cheek and she smiled with adoration. A vague sense of dissatisfaction stirred in his gut. Why couldn't he have the joy that was so close? Hitomi and her ideas of social propriety - he loved her and he was damn sure she loved him. Age was nothing but a number; letting that be the wall between them was nothing short of idiotic.

 

Reginald, the most senior of the staff, rang the gong hanging next to the open doorway of the dining area. He struck the metal plate twice more and announced dinner with officious tones.

As host and hostess, Hibiki escorted Hitomi into supper. He settled her hand onto the crook of his elbow, puffed out his chest and walked to the head table. Pulling out her chair, he assisted her to get settled, pushing her seat in and then claiming his own. Ambrose followed behind, leaning over touching Hitomi's bare shoulder and whisper into her ear. Dropping into his chair on her other side, he grinned wide.

Hitomi did not answer, but Ambrose hadn't needed her to respond. He was free to do as he pleased. Free to say what was on his mind; just as Hitomi was free to pretend there was nothing between them. Shit was about to get real.

Even though the food was set up in a buffet line, servants plated food for the head table. More workers began pouring wine and assorted beverages for the guests. Hibiki waited for the buzz of conversation to drop before tapping the side of his wine glass with a fork. The crystal rang with a clear tone, and the chatter petered out. "I would like to propose a toast!" He stood up, his chair scrapping and skidding behind him. "Let us work together to build and foster closer community ties. Cheers!" After holding up his glass for a heartbeat, he took a sip and then sat down.

Hitomi lifted her glass and drank, turning her head away from Ambrose. She gave a warm smile to her oldest step-son and began picking at the food on her plate. The assembled guests relaxed into conversation.

 

Lily peeled another kiwi and bit into it, the juice not daring drip down his chin. Levy and Gajeel were still acting a bit weird. But they were less strange that when he'd apprehended them outside. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn they weren't themselves or under a spell. At least now they were making eye contact and being civil. Three sisters and a couple in their mid-twenties had joined the table. They made introductions and talked the mood festive.

Ambrose spent more time sneaking glances at Hitomi than eating. The food, for all the care he knew had gone into creating it, was not making an impact on his taste buds. He forced his eyes back away from Hitomi and began examining the various costumes.

Hibiki, used to his step-mother being the eternal gracious hostess was dismayed at the terse responses she was making to his conversation. Raising his voice a bit higher, he directed his next attempt to his brother. "Shall we have the demonstration before or after re-opening the dance floor?"

Not realizing Hibiki was speaking to him, Ambrose didn't answer. He was humming under his breath, elbow propped on the table and his chin in his hand. The younger brother startled when Hitomi tapped his shoulder with her fan. He sputtered, "W-what?"

"I said, when's the best time for the demonstration?"

Hitomi released her fan to take a large draught of her wine. She gave in to temptation and turned her head to look at Ambrose. The alcohol warmed a trail down her throat, her plans were already in motion. This would be the last party she'd ever preside over as the mistress of the household. After tonight few of the townsfolk would welcome her company. The two young men she'd babysat as a teen, and become step-mother to, would likely curse the day they met.

"Dancing and then fighting, children." Hitomi hid her smirk. Hibiki was too amiable to take offence. Needling Ambrose was after all, part of tonight's agenda.

As expected, Hibiki nodded and agreed, his voice even and measured. Ambrose bristled; his frown of distaste was all she could have wished. Hitomi allowed the wine steward to refill her glass and then rose to her feet. "I shall make my rounds, drumming up donations." She patted Hibiki's arm. "You don't have my arsenal, but you'll charm the jewels from our guests too. We'll each take a side of the room."

"Excellent."

Ignoring his brother stride away, Ambrose followed the green-haired woman with his eyes. There was no use faking disinterest. His decision to show his devotion and commitment to Hitomi was what he needed to do. No quitting. He brushed one falling lock of hair back, sighing. No point sitting alone. He had important things to do. Ambrose felt his heart lighten. There was no use trying to control the actions of others. He'd work for what he wanted, and he'd hold Hitomi tight, fighting for their happiness.


	43. Personal Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost, my apologies for such a long wait for an update. Life, as they say, gets in the way of everything. If it wasn't the long hours of work, it was my car getting flooded and written off, having to shop and buy another car, then it was a rather unsettling passive-aggressive review I received that had me too upset to want to write. (On a different story) This story is winding down, but here's some excitement! I hope this chapter satisfies you, and know that there's at least a few more coming. Thanks for reading.

Ambrose slid into a vacant chair on the other side of Lily, smiling and nodding to the mix of people. Addressing Gajeel, he adopted a casual mien. "Ready for the big sword battle after some more dancing?"

"Still working on eating."

"Don't mind Gajeel," Levy said, "He's a bit out of sorts for some reason. The swordsmanship display is sure to sweeten his mood." She set her fork down and pushed away her plate. "The music has been wonderful and I can't wait for Lily to school Gajeel."

Lily nodded. "I was already the better swordsman. With him distracted, I'll be hard pressed not to embarrass him too greatly."

Levy hid her smirk behind her hand. "And then I'll have to soothe his wounded vanity all night."

"Pfft. Both of you can stop talkin' like I ain't here." Gajeel glowered. "My skills with swords is just fine." He set down his utensils and stood up, holding out a hand to Levy. "Let's go talk."

Levy crossed her arms and glared right back at her boyfriend.

Into her ear, Gajeel whispered, "I got something for you to soothe, but it ain't my vanity, so c'mon."

"Oh?" She accompanied her remark with a lifted eyebrow. Gajeel awkwardly patted her shoulder. Levy sighed. "All right. Fine. Good even."

"See you guys later."

"Oh he's in trouble," Lily picked up another kiwi and peeled the skin. "Poor bastard doesn’t know it yet, but he's gonna be ass deep in hornets as soon as they're alone."

"What makes you say that?" Ambrose watched the slow departure of the two mages. Gajeel tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and guided her through the crowd.

"No woman ever means it when they use the word, 'fine'." Lily sat back in his chair, using fork and knife to cut his kiwi into neat segments. He popped a piece in his mouth.

"I actually came over for some advice." Ambrose fidgeted as Lily kept eating his fruit. He ran his fingers over and over the embroidered cuffs of his jacket. Ambrose's voice was higher than normal as he rushed into speaking again. "I'm going to prove to Hitomi I love her. She's worth fighting for, but I'm lacking in battle tactics."

Finally finished, Lily stroked his chin. He sighed and appeared deep in thought before speaking. "Your fight will have to change as the situation warrants, won't it? If you love her, you must understand her - and give her the information she needs to choose you." Lily nodded gravely and added more to his advice. "Prove in words and deeds to her your unchanging affection. Actions speak louder than words, but the right words set the mood, don't they?"

"I think I understand." Ambrose stood up. His chair skidded behind him, making a loud noise. "You've been an immense help, thanks."

"You're welcome." Lily scooped up another kiwi and held it in his hand, considering consuming yet another one. Sighing, he added it to the pile he was hoarding.

"I love kiwi too, not just because my family grows them." The young woman who'd been passing the table stopped to greet Lily. "Remember me? I'm Sophia from Fhenwyr Farms."

Lily pulled out the chair beside him. "How could I ever forget? Please sit and we can renew our acquaintance." He smiled, "The kiwi jam you made was wonderful. I've always admired the culinary arts."

Sophia blushed and giggled. She pointed to a woman who Lily remembered from the tour and a man holding her hand. "My parents are not staying long. They don't want to make Hitomi uncomfortable, but I'm allowed to stay until the end this year." She grinned, her friendliness radiating from her whole person.

"So you've known Hitomi a long time?"

"… You could say that." Her smile dimmed but she kept it in place. "You look trustworthy, so if I tell you something, you'd keep it to yourself?" Sophia let her fingers knot themselves together. "It's not like the town doesn't know, but out of respect they don't talk about it with newcomers."

"Oh, if this is making you uncomfortable, by all means, don't answer." Lily adjusted the fall of his neckcloth, a bit unnerved by Sophia's now solemn face. "I didn't mean to pry into personal business. I just assumed there was some sort of happy connection, seeing as she took us to tour your farm."

"That's the crux of the whole situation." Sophia focused her dark green eyes at Lily. "It's a personal connection. She's distanced herself from us once she married into the Tildensons."

"What do you mean?" Lily mulled over the girl's words. "Hitomi is a long-time patron of your farm, what of it?"

"She's my sister." Sophia twirled a strand of dark brown hair around her finger. "Dad is where we both got the green eyes, but I got mom's hair."

"Ah…" Lily rubbed his chin. "But why does she not openly claim her family?"

"I was much younger when she married, but most folks only saw her as a gold-digger." Sophia sighed, "She'd kill me if she knew I was spilling my guts about this."

"Fear not, I can keep this to myself - unless you were telling me to help her in some way?"

"Chivalry is hard to come by, but I had a feeling about you."

"Sophia, I'd be happy enough to help - but I'm committed to participating in the upcoming entertainment." Lily tied a knot, securing his stash of kiwis in a napkin. "I'm afraid I won't have the time necessary."

"Giving me a dance or two to get to my sister is all the help I'll need." Sophia patted Lily on his well-muscled bicep. "Hitomi will do her best to avoid me, but you're the distraction that will allow me close."

 

"Gajeel, you stop moving right this minute and tell me what's going on." Levy stood immobile and tugged her hand free of his grasp. "You're acting weird."

"How is wanting to keep you to myself, weird? Or hating how many men are looking at you and desiring what's mine?" The slayer pulled on the ornate cuffs of his coat. "All I can think about is why would you settle for me when there're actual gentlemen surrounding you."

"Not this again." Levy pressed her lips together, the corners of her mouth drooping as her mood deflated. "Haven't we proved to each other how we feel? I thought a mating bond would remove all doubts."

"…" Gajeel nodded, the glow in his eyes banked. "If that's what we had, then sure."

"I haven't had a single moment of regret or remorse, Gajeel. Wait? We aren't bonded?" Only the cord around her wrist kept the fan from hitting the floor as it dropped from nerveless fingers. "We aren't bonded?"

"Not exactly, but we're close."

"Then let's fix that oversight."

The stones in Gajeel's gut felt lighter as Levy began to smile again. "You sure?"

"Idiot." She reached up and pulled a blossom loose from her hair, tucking it into one of the many medals of his costume. "Is this why you've been out of sorts?" Levy took his hands and leaned back, gazing up at his face with trust. "First chance we get, we'll complete our bond, okay?"

"I need to tell you a few more things before we do," Gajeel lost most of his customary swagger, his face solemn. "There's an important discussion we need to have. I was trying to get through before we got interrupted -"

"Pardon the intrusion," Mary inclined her head as she made a shallow bow. "I'm sorry, but Hitomi has requested Levy's assistance."

Gajeel let out an irritated hiss of air but forbore snapping at the apologetic maid. He ducked down and gave Levy a loud smacking kiss. "That should keep you satisfied for now. Ghee hihi!"

"Not hardly!" Levy yanked on his jacket lapels. "A sneak attack kiss? You can do better than that."

"Don't mind me." Mary didn't try to hide her amusement. "There's always time for this sort of thing."

Gajeel scooped Levy into his arms and gave her a tender, lingering kiss. Lungs heaving, almost panting, he set her on her feet again. "You'd better cheer for me instead of Lily."

"We'll see." Impishly, Levy giggled. She blew a kiss to her lover and set off with Mary, who began to chatter over what Hitomi wanted from the solid script mage.

 

The musicians trickled back to the raised dais, warming up as quietly as possible. The noises of conversation and eating were still strong in the ante-chamber, but the main food service was scheduled to be over soon. The music for dancing would need to be ready.

Inside the ballroom, Hitomi thanked Levy once more. Her profuse words of gratitude embarrassed the young woman. "I'm sorry to have asked that of you. There's no other way of creating what I want at this late date without your talent. I appreciate it so very much. You're an exceptional young woman. Thank you!"

"I'll need to fetch my light pen, but I can do that right now." Levy smiled. "I think those changes to your costume will be spectacular."

"Yes. Spectacular is the word, and change is imperative." Her face reflected a mix of excitement and seriousness. "I must find something from my room - meet me there?"

Mary stood off to the side, a faint smile pinned in place. She was busy mentally going over her and Levy's plan to help Ambrose and Hitomi find their happy-ever-after. What her boss was asking of Levy was not too odd, but disconcerting enough. Mary dusted off imaginary dust from her apron. Whether she liked it or not, Hitomi had allies who only wanted the best for her when she herself seemed to be bent on destroying her own happiness.

 

Ambrose sat and waited for Hitomi. The servant's staircase was tucked away out of sight of the main landing attached to the hallway, but still conveniently close. The acoustics brought the sounds of heavy silk sweeping against the wooden flooring. He leaned forward, preparing to stand up.

Delicate sniffs had him pausing. Hitomi wouldn't want him to see her cry. She had a vast amount of pride, having him see her at her weakest would make her push him away harder. Ambrose leaned back, doubts assailing his mind. What right did he have to confess? Hitomi had refused to acknowledge his attentions for years. She'd only gave in to her desire so briefly he wondered if he'd imagined making love to her in her private dressing room.

Hesitation cost the young man his chance. Her door opened and closed, the key turned, locking her in alone. Sighing, Ambrose rubbed his forehead. His guts and thoughts refused to settle. It was time for action, and he still wasn't sure what he could do to declare his love. He felt anticipation and dread in equal measures. Tonight was going to be either the best night of his life or the worst.

Reaching into his breast pocket, Ambrose pulled out a tiny gauze bag full of faded orange dust. He closed his eyes and concentrated on thoughts of Hitomi. She had a cold beauty, a strong familial sense of duty, quirky humour and warmth she kept hidden. From the same pocket, he withdrew a flask and dumped the powder in, shook it and gulped a large mouthful. Standing with purpose, Ambrose tucked the container away and strode into the hallway.

Heat pooled in his belly, not just from the laced alcohol. Giddiness surged in his veins. Happiness was within reach, and he was going to claim what he'd been waiting for since childhood. About to knock on the door, he paused. He heard a quick pitter-patter of light footsteps coming from the main staircase. A cramp hit him with the force of a sledgehammer, clutching his stomach he crumpled to his knees.

"Oh! Are you okay?" Levy sank down next to him and patted his back, wanting to ease his obvious discomfort. His shoulders were rigid even as his whole body shook. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't know it would work like this." Ambrose felt like his lips were numb, his mind spinning. His words poured from his mouth like slow moving honey. "I'm okay, just give me a minute."

"Let me get help, Hitomi is waiting for me." Levy gasped as Ambrose clutched her hands. "You're hurting me! Let go!"

His face drained of colour and his eyes were glassy. He mumbled, "Hitomi." Forcing with persistence, his next words were much clearer and louder. "I love you!" Ambrose looked at Levy but was not seeing the petite girl. His mind conjured up the mature charms of Hitomi. He pressed desperate kisses on her palms, then wrapped his arms around her waist, face mashed to her stomach. "I love you! I love you!"

Gajeel dropped a scrap of paper requesting him to meet Levy at their room. When he'd gotten there, she was already gone; but it was easy enough to follow her scent trail. Part of Gajeel's mind knew this had to be a misunderstanding, but the shock overwhelmed him. He growled a brief warning before taking hold of Ambrose, separating him from Levy. "Take your damn hands off her."

"Be careful!" Levy begged Gajeel, "He's -"

"I don't care what he is." The slayer snapped, "I care that half an hour ago you said you wanted the full bond. And now you're taking confessions from the landed gentry." He shook the hapless man, seething with rage. "I was a fool."

Hitomi took a deep breath on her side of the wall. Her doubts and fears she pushed into a box inside her mind; she closed the lid and locked it. Time to give her best and final performance as Mrs. Tildenson. She opened her door and pretended shock. "What's going on?!"


	44. Show Down, Part the First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, my apologies for taking so long with an update. (...mostly on account I have other stories to tend to as well, but I'd say that's the reason, not an excuse - my excuse is I'm crap with time management.) Second, we have come to the end of this story - but I can confirm either 2 or 3 last chapters (after this one). Third, I appreciate every follow/fav/kudos/bookmark for this story. You have all been very patient with my slow updating coming into the end. I had such good intentions, thinking I'd update twice a week ... oh how very wrong I was ... But here's the beginning of the end~~

Hitomi rushed over to Levy, throwing an arm around the petite girl's shaking shoulders. "You need to sit down." She herded Levy towards her room. "You're awfully pale."  
  
In the foggy depths of Ambrose's mind, hearing Hitomi speak refocused his intentions. Gajeel had let his grip slack and Ambrose took full advantage, pulling free. "My love!" He advanced on Hitomi - but Gajeel could only assume the man was making another move on Levy. Ambrose stumbled towards the two women. Arm outstretched; fingers clutching air, mumbling 'my love' over and over.  
  
"I might be a fool, but he's an idiot." Gajeel grabbed Ambrose and subdued him in a choke hold. "There's no way I'm gonna let you paw my woman right in front of me." Gajeel scowled as his captive began to thrash.  
  
"You don't trust me but I'm still your woman?" Levy pulled away from Hitomi. "Ambrose needs help, there's something wrong with him."  
  
Ambrose ordered his arms to reach for Hitomi but they only waved feebly, his face pleading. "My love will never wither, pick me as I have picked you!"  
  
Gajeel tightened his hold, pressing against Ambrose's airway and forced him into unconsciousness. "Great, was that enough help? Levy, we need to talk." The slayer looked into his full arms and grimaced. "Ugh, where can I set this loser down?"  
  
Mary came out from the side passage and cleared her throat. "Seems like it would be best to lay him down in the closest bedroom." She gestured to Hitomi's room. "Some rest and water will have him restored in no time."  
  
Smoothing her face from the displeasure she felt, Hitomi nodded and forced a gracious smile. "Yes, Ambrose most likely needs some quiet time alone."  
  
"Me'an'Shrimp need quiet time alone too." Gajeel slung the youngest Tildenson family member onto the bed, uncaring of how his head and limbs bounced from the force.  
  
Levy looked at Ambrose who mumbled 'my love' and began snoring. She turned to Hitomi who was pretending not to be there and then caught the eye of Mary who gave her a subtle wink. Holding out her hand to Gajeel, Levy tightened her lips and spoke. "You've got some explaining to do."  
  
"Me? You're the one gettin' confessed to!"  
  
"That's not what it was!"  
  
Hibiki ran down the hallway, skidding to a stop in front of the crowd. He noticed his brother laying down on the bed and dismissed that from his mind, instead he clasped Gajeel on his shoulders. "We NEED the entertainment! The crowd is getting bored and it's time!"  
  
Torn between his lover and his obligations, Gajeel growled.  
  
Flustered with his host duties, Hibiki ignored his personal danger. "C'mon!"  
  
"Yes, the entertainment must go on." Hitomi threw a calculating look at Ambrose and the rest of the gathered crowd. "It would be a shame to ruin things for the charity."  
  
"Miss Levy, if you'd alter what Hitomi needs fixing, you can hurry and go." Mary smiled; this would force Hitomi into letting the mage out soonest. "I'll go and order water and a restorative. Hitomi? You can take care of Ambrose. Don't worry about the party, it's in good hands." She shooed Gajeel and Hibiki from the room. Mary turned around and connected with Hitomi's gaze. The maid smiled. "Ambrose needs you right now, doesn't he?" She exited and shut the door.  
  
Levy pulled her light pen from behind her ear. "Before I attempt this, are you sure of what colour you want?"  
  
Distracted from her original purpose, Hitomi shrugged and Levy had to repeat herself. "Changing my costume seems so frivolous at the moment." She sat on her bed and skimmed her fingers over Ambrose's chin and jaw, her heart heavy. "Frankly, I'm surprised he accosted you."  
  
"He thought I was you." Levy walked around the bed to face Mrs. Tildenson. The solid script mage was beginning to puzzle more of the situation together but decided to play dumb. "I'm not sure what was going through his mind, but he wasn't trying to hurt me. He was frantic to talk to you."  
  
"You're awfully forgiving my dear." Hitomi gave her step-son one last pat on the cheek before focussing her attention on Levy. "Will your handsome man take back his hasty words as well?"  
  
"That's difficult to say." Levy shrugged and affected a look of unconcern. "He's within his rights to think and feel whatever he needs to from what he thinks he knows. It's up to me to share my truth with him."  
  
Hitomi chuckled softly. "Well said. Relationships are a two-way street, aren't they? The path you take can go anywhere or nowhere."  
  
"That's true - but that's the chance and choice we have." Levy fiddled with her magic tool, flipping it over and over in her grasp. "My friend Lucy told me life is a journey where the destination is only known at the very end."  
  
"Goodness!" Hitomi clutched handfuls of the bedclothes. "How bleak."  
  
"Not at all!" Levy walked closer and stood at the head of the bed, looking down at a slumbering Ambrose. "A life well lived has love in every aspect. It doesn't matter if it's the love of friends, family or of a good time. Love is never a waste." She lifted her head to smile at Hitomi. "I would never regret one single instant of the love I've shared with Gajeel."  
  
The older woman nodded, at a loss for words. Hitomi released her grip on the bedclothes and fiddled with the skirt of her dress. After a full minute of silence, she took a deep breath. "My married life had love. We were friends turned lovers - but not much more than that. He never let go of the connection he had with his first wife. I didn't begrudge him his memories, but he never tried to forge the same bond with me." Hitomi sighed, wiping under an eye with a delicate sniff. "I don't regret how my life has played out, but I refuse to ruin Ambrose's life."  
  
Taken aback at Hitomi's openness, Levy didn't know what to say. She marshalled her thoughts and then spoke. "Ruined? That's a harsh supposition. But what of free will and his choice?"  
  
"Perhaps it is, and perhaps as his elder, he should listen to my sage advice."  
  
"I'm all for listening to varying points of view, but my friend Lucy told me one must actively consider those ideas or else it's as if your mind is closed."  
  
"Does your friend Lucy have more words of wisdom regarding love and life?"  
  
"Lucy has lots of good advice."  
  
"I think I would enjoy meeting her." Hitomi rose from the edge of her bed. "It's good we had this chat. I've reconsidered my choice of colour - instead of the flamboyant red, I'd like pure white instead."  
  
"Either would have set your hair off - but white is going to be stunning." Levy guided her arm holding her light pen in a controlled wave over Hitomi. "White wash."  
  
A cloud enveloped the other woman and in mere seconds her dress transformed into a brilliant white garment.  
  
"Magic is certainly useful. Thank you very much." Hitomi looked down at her now dazzling gown. "I have many other clothes, but it would have faded in comparison to this."  
  
"I'm always happy to help." Levy stuck her pen behind her ear again. "Help with anything."  
  
"Rest assured, I do appreciate this. More than -" A knock sounded, interrupting Hitomi. "Let me get that."  
  
She strode over and opened the door to find a servant holding a tray bearing a water pitcher, two glasses and a small bottle. She bowed slightly and rushed to set it down. "Here you are!"  
  
"Thank you, you may leave."  
  
"Begging your pardon, but Mary said a drink was what you both needed."  
  
"Indeed?"  
  
"Yes ma'am." Mary's envoy dropped a quick curtsey and began to back out of the room. She stopped when she caught Levy's eye. "Mary requested Miss Levy's assistance as well. Are you free?"  
  
Levy nodded after glancing at the still slumbering Ambrose. "I need to speak with Gajeel as soon as possible."  
  
"Then I'll see you very soon downstairs." Hitomi followed Levy across the room and waved goodbye to her and the maid. "Good luck with your young man."  
  
Levy glanced at Ambrose laying on Hitomi's bed and then back to Hitomi. She winked. "You too."  
  
As soon as the door shut, Hitomi let her face become solemn once again. She waited with her back pressed against the door. She steeled her nerve and crossed to the table bearing water and the bottle of tonic.  
  
"My love …"  
  
Hitomi gasped. Ambrose was fighting his way to consciousness. Mrs. Tildenson crossed her arms under her impressive bust and bowed her head as she thought.  
  
Ambrose rolled over on the bed and mumbled more. Louder now he fought to open his eyes. "Hitomi!"  
  
"Shush!" She moved over to the pitcher of water and poured a glass with trembling hands, adding a healthy amount of the restorative.  
  
"Ugh," Ambrose coughed, on his side. "Why does my mouth feel like death?"  
  
"Sit up to take some water." Hitomi looked at the young man in his rumpled finery. An old memory stirred and without thinking, she smiled.  
  
"You amused by how awful I feel?"  
  
"Everybody overindulges in vice." She thrust the glass at Ambrose who greedily gulped it down. "I haven't seen you like this in ages - when I married your father, that was the first and last - except for right now."  
  
Ambrose forced a weak chuckle. "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Feeling a bit better, he swung his legs over the side of the bed but remained seated. "Dad was so happy with marrying you he didn't know how miserable I was."  
  
"You should move on from miserable and go enjoy your youth."  
  
Ambrose straightened his posture and began to brush the wrinkled mass of his clothes. "I'm trying."  
  
"Try harder."  
  
Ambrose stood up, taking shaky steps to loom over Hitomi. He wanted to take her in his arms and never let go - but she was not ready yet. "Do you know how stunning you look in white?"  
  
Falling back on shallow nonsense, Hitomi smirked. "I'm eye-catching in every shade."  
  
"True. Have you ever thought about moving on from being miserable and enjoying my youth?"  
  
Disbelief, annoyance and dismay; Hitomi did her best to cover her emotions. "You're still under the influence of whatever made you accost Levy. I will ignore your ill chosen words."  
  
"Ill chosen? I borrowed yours, and not a mistake." Ambrose brushed Hitomi's cheek with the back of his fingers. "Levy has nothing to do with us - right here, right now is all I ever wanted."  
  
"Ambrose, you can't possibly mean that. Once you get the experience I have, you'll know that can't be true."  
  
"Tch. How can you say that?" Ambrose settled his hands overtop of Hitomi's - which had migrated to his chest. "You're reaching out to me and I am going to reach right back."


	45. Show Down, Part the Second

Hitomi curled her fingers, cursing her weak flesh. "I had my youth and now it's gone." She looked away before Ambrose could see the glint of tears. "You should sleep."  
  
"Perhaps." Encompassing her dainty hand in his, Ambrose lifted it to his lips and held it there until Hitomi raked her gaze back to him. "Perhaps not." He grinned, pressed a kiss to her fingertips and let go. "I find what I desire may be in my dreams, but I am working to achieve my personal happiness - that will need actual action." Ambrose chewed his bottom lip as he stared into Hitomi's face. "I can't make progress if I'm slumbering."  
  
"Please." Did she want Ambrose to pursue or give up? It was exciting and addicting - what was the harm in a little more flirting? No. She'd figured this out many times before - she only wanted an excuse to continue, no matter how lame or pathetic. Hitomi knew deep in her gut that Ambrose would lose interest in pursuing her. As a man of twenty-six he was already an adult - he'd outgrow his obsession with her. Any younger woman could suit him. "Please, think of your future."  
  
"But I am." Ambrose let his gaze become heavy and low-lidded. "Without you, it's bleak. Ask me about the path that gives me your love."  
  
"I don't care," Hitomi responded. Her voice was flat but inside she was almost sobbing.  
  
"Let me tell you anyway." He stepped closer; hands on her upper arms, expression earnest. "Your hand in mine wards off any and all disappointments. Rain is nothing, sleet - a joke. You are my sunshine - not my only source - but my favourite." Excitement sparkled in his eyes. "I know you, and I like you the way you are."  
  
Hitomi could feel tears building again, dammit. Ambrose was weakening her defences. But this battle was one she'd prepared a most powerful armour against. "Dearest step-son." She let out a slow breath, closed her eyes and then when she opened them Hitomi cranked up her biggest smile. "I don't feel the same." Hitomi took no joy in his wounded expression. This was an attack to keep him from ruining his future - anything hurtful she said was only a case of cruel to be kind. "Give yourself ten years to mull it over, then get back to me."  
  
"I don't care I'm younger than you - don't care you were married to my father." Ambrose looked Hitomi dead in the eyes. "I love you for who you are this very instant. The woman I fell in love with is her own person, you choose whatever path you want. I am doing my best so that you pick me, but as in everything else - I can't deny free will."  
  
"You don't know what you're talking about." Hitomi crossed her arms and looked down at her feet. "As a child you were infatuated with your babysitter." She turned away and strode over to the tray still holding the water and restorative tonic. Tapping a well-manicured nail on the bottle, Hitomi spoke. "I am thirty-eight to your twenty-six years of age."  
  
"Is that supposed to worry me?" Ambrose stepped closer to the woman who ruled all his dreams. "Wines and cheese are better after aging."  
  
"I am not something to be consumed. I'm a person." Hitomi frowned and it grew into a fierce glare. He was many things to her; step-son, a childhood playmate - and a man she desired. "Get some more rest. I'm going to join the party downstairs." She hugged her arms and walked towards the door before turning back to watch him. "You should move to your own room and sleep there."  
  
Ambrose nodded, unwilling or unable to speak; Hitomi wasn't sure. Walking with a heavy heart, she crossed over to the door. After a brief pause she put her hand on the doorknob and then turned it. Over her shoulder she spoke, "Oh child, it's best if you grow up."  
  
Ambrose watched in disbelief as Hitomi shut the door behind herself. His hands clenched into fists, he let himself get angry and then he pushed the negative thoughts out of his head. Pulse slowing, he reflected on his situation. Hitomi could do and think as she wished. It was up to him to prove his worth. He would love her and be there for all the little and big successes (as well as the failures) life might throw their way.  
  
He wanted to throw something and smash it to pieces - but that wouldn't solve his problem. He exhaled a giant sigh, letting his shoulders slump and head hang forward. Another cleansing breath; in and out, in and out.  
  
Time for a little grooming. Ambrose brushed his hair and straightened his clothes. More determined with every action - tonight was the night Hitomi succumbed to his charms.

  


Hibiki rubbed his hands together. "Thank you for waiting Lily! If you and Gajeel would wait out of sight for a few minutes, I'll introduce the entertainment."  
  
"Uh huh." Gajeel stomped over to the waiting set of blades, picking up the midnight blue scabbard trimmed in silver. He buckled it low on his hips. "I shoulda practiced with this more earlier." He began to draw the sword and stopped half-way. Not liking how it felt he set it back and tested it over and over until his motions were smooth.  
  
Lily took measure of Gajeel. His partner was uptight and taciturn as a general rule, right now he was too brittle and acting weird. The slayer might combust at the slightest provocation. "Worried I'll embarrass you too much as we battle?" One hand perched on his hip. He smirked and adjusted his cape to show more of the red silk lining - all the while keeping eye contact with Gajeel. "I'm amendable to dialling my skills down - for a price."  
  
Gajeel frowned, putting his heart into the effort. "I don't need nobody making sacrifices for me. If Levy wants to dump me then it's better it happened before we could bond. I'm a big boy and I know what it means when my woman is entertaining sweet words from another man."  
  
"The what now?" Lily shook his head. "There's no way Levy would cheat on you." The exceed glanced at Hibiki who was still yammering about the sword skills entertainment. Thudding one large paw into the centre of Gajeel's chest, Lily shook his head again and sighed. "He's almost ready to introduce us. Make it quick - what did you do?"  
  
"Me? Nothin'. It was all Ambrose, that bastard."  
  
"Ambrose? But he's crazy in love with -"  
  
"I don't wanna hear you say it! It's bad enough I saw them together!" Gajeel walked away and picked up a he  
avy metal urn, dumped out the flowers and water it held. He took a big bite, jaws tearing it apart viciously. "Give me a real battle, don't pull your punches."  
  
"We're fighting with swords." Lily crossed his arms and looked at his partner under heavy hooded eyes. "You need to talk about this instead of brawling."  
  
"Maybe I'd rather kick your ass than listen."  
  
Lily looked at Hibiki and then back to Gajeel. The Tildenson heir had just led a round of applause - in seconds they would have to begin their demonstration. He picked up his weapon, with gold detailing on both scabbard and hilt.  
Gajeel kicked the flowers and trod them flat, the orange petals crushed - some sticking to the bottoms of his shoes.  
  
"Gajeel, let's make a deal."  
  
The slayer flared his nostrils and scowled. "Yeah?"  
  
"We fight no holds bared - when I win you talk openly and freely with Levy."  
  
"Heh. When I win, you quit yammering about talkin' it out."  
  
Slayer and exceed cracked their necks and thrust out hands to shake. "Deal!"

  


Levy rushed down the stairs, almost flying. It was anger and worry moving her feet so fleet - Gajeel tended to take everything at face value. Hearing Ambrose ramble words of love at her (only she knew he'd been speaking of Hitomi) would make it 'fait accompli' in his head. He'd assume Levy was returning the sentiment. "Dammit!"  
  
She had to push herself through the throngs of people milling about the edges of the dance floor. Everyone stood shoulder to shoulder to gain the best viewing for the exhibition of sword fighting skills. "Excuse me!" She threw an elbow and moved on, needing to get to the front at any cost. She could hear the ringing of metal against metal - but not see - damn her short stature!  
  
Mary bustled up to Levy and caught her attention with a tap to her shoulder. "Follow me."  
  
Going from harassed and upset to hopeful, Levy grinned. Mary led her to Hitomi was and ushered her into the unoccupied chair next to the widow. Addressing the both of them, Mary set her hands on her hips. "Tonight's going to be important - time for the truth from everyone. You can do it the easy way and speak for yourself or I'll spill what I know."  
  
"I can do that." Levy turned to face Hitomi. "Can you?"  
  
"I can." Hitomi plastered on a giant false smile. "But how would you know if I lied?"  
  
"Miss Levy might not know, but I'm still here." Mary shook her head in sorrow. "And I know you through and through. Oh child, it's best if you grow up."  
  
Hitomi gasped, "What?!"  
  
"Let your heart speak." Mary softened her tone and patted Hitomi on her hand. "Don't let your past determine your future."  
  
Gajeel swung his sword wide at Lily, aiming to force him backwards and closer to the center of the dance floor. There, he'd be able to expend more of his anger into brutal strikes.  
  
Lily avoided the blow, the gold braid on his scarlet costume barely swinging as he moved aside. "Your form is as sloppy as your thoughts of Levy," He hissed to Gajeel, "I'll disarm you in a thrice."  
  
Anger made Gajeel contort his features into a fierce scowl. A low rumbling growl resonated in his chest. "I don't wanna talk about it!"  
  
"You agreed to no holds bared, did you not?" Lily smirked as he pointed his weapon at Gajeel's heart. "All's fair in love and war is what I heard. I shall fight you with words and weapon."  
  
The crowd, which had been a minor inconvenience to Gajeel earlier became rather more important once he could smell his wo- once he could smell Levy among their number. "Damn you Lily."  
  
"I'd rather be damned for helping you open your eyes than assisting you in thinking Levy wanted anyone more than you." Angling his wrist, Lily blocked Gajeel's next blow and manoeuvred him closer to the musicians' dais - coincidently closer to where Levy and Hitomi were sitting. "I always knew you were thick witted when it came to women, but this is taking it too far!"  
  
"I know what I saw and what I heard!" Gajeel let anger guide him as he landed blow after blow with the edge of his blade against Lily's. "Ambrose declared his love for her."  
  
Forcing Gajeel closer to the edge of the crowd, Lily held his sword ready in a guard position. "That and some jewels buys a cup of coffee. What did Levy say?"  
  
Excited, she stood up on the seat of her chair. "I didn't get a chance to say anything!" Levy didn't give a flying fuck about all the strangers listening in. Straightening out Gajeel's misconceptions was vastly more important that the opinions of people she never had to see again. "He was sick, and he most certainly was NOT talking to me!" She stared at Gajeel; arms crossed, her expression mulish as she dropped back onto her seat.  
  
"She's right, I wasn't." Ambrose approached from the other end of the ballroom. "Delightful a person as you are Miss McGarden, in my delirium, I'm afraid I'd imagined you were someone else."  
  
"You still look unwell - " Hitomi caught the eye of Mary and decided to hold the rest of her words.  
  
"Who else is as perfect as you, Levy?" Gajeel crossed swords with Lily again, holding and pushing the heavily muscled exceed back several paces. The slayer looked at Levy quickly before facing his opponent again. "I ain't a prize, I understand wantin' to upgrade to landed gentry."  
  
"Forgive my bluntness Mr. Redfox, but you're a damned idiot." Ambrose locked eyes with Hitomi - even though he was speaking to Gajeel, his words were intended to scorch the heart of his woman. "Do you want to hear about my perfect woman?"  
  
Gajeel rolled his eyes and said, "Ugh, no."  
  
"Let him speak." Lily glared and sent another deceptively slow attack to Gajeel's left side. More of an annoyance than anything; to keep him off balance, giving Ambrose the chance to talk.  
  
Ambrose strode closer to the two men crossing blades. He made eye contact with friends and neighbours in the crowd. He hadn't planned to confess in front of everyone - but this situation was a heaven-sent opportunity. Sophia grinned at him and shot him a double thumbs-up. He nodded back at her and decided to unleash his personal truth.  
  
"My perfect woman is a kind and caring woman." Ambrose wanted to shove his fidgeting hands into pockets. His costume didn't allow for that so he shifted is weight from foot to foot instead. "You wouldn't know it to look at her, but she loves gardening. She values her reputation even as she delights in rousing people's distrust and speculation."  
  
Incensed, Gajeel whipped off his dark blue soldier jacket. Several of the silver buttons pinged to the floor. Some good sense remained and he restrained himself from pointing his weapon at Ambrose. He glared, letting his ire show in the glowing red of his eyes. "Bah. It's like you don't know Levy at all! She kills houseplants just by lookin' at 'em! She's never done nothin' risqué for people to speculate over - an' she's far too good for the likes of you!"  
  
Fully entranced with the scandalous entertainment, most of the crowd buzzed in hushed conversation with one another. It wouldn't do to be too loud - the principals of the intrigue might stop airing the dirty laundry.  
  
Ambrose nodded and smirked. "I applaud your passion Mr. Redfox but your ire is misdirected." He caught the eye of Mary who winked at him. That was an excellent omen - he was on the right path then.  
  
"Don't tell me not to be angry! You confessed to Levy - right in front of me!"  
  
The crowd drew back a bit to see Gajeel's contorted snarling face - gossip was meat and wine to them, but the mage looked as if he would commit murder if pressed too hard. Gajeel shifted his hands and directed another blow at Lily. "I'm busy fighting."  
  
"Fighting against learning the truth," Lily rejoined as he defended himself with ease. He spun out of range and tossed his cape into the crowd. "Let the man speak."  
  
"Wasn't this solely organized as a demonstration?" Hitomi flipped open her fan as she drawled her words. "Goodness, as much as I love outrageous displays of men arguing, I would rather watch our good friends continue to cross swords instead of words."  
  
Gajeel sidestepped closer to Lily, intent on winning their bout - display or not, their bet was binding. The slayer shot a look of cold determination at Ambrose and then his partner, Lily. "I can do both." He shifted his feet and swung low, making Lily jump back.  
  
The exceed parried the next blow, forcing Gajeel's blade wide. He moved closer and went on the attack. "Then we should indeed allow the youngest Tildenson to speak." Lily grinned maliciously. "I'm very interested in what he has to say."  
  
"Me too." Levy asserted, "But I think Hitomi might care the most."  
  
Immediately the widow was at the center of all eyes. She snapped her fan shut, letting it hang off her wrist and forced a guileless look. "What makes you say that?" Her other hand clutched excess fabric from her skirt, turning her knuckles white, matching the hue of her dress. "He's just my step-son."  
  
"Was."  
"Still." Hitomi shrugged like she didn't care. "Oh well, I'm not worried."  
  
"Scared is more like it." Ambrose relaxed a bit. Lily was blocking Gajeel from taking a straight run at him. Now he was assured of unburdening himself before meeting an untimely end - at the end of the wicked sharp sword Gajeel was wielding. "Scared of admitting I mean a lot to you."  
  
Gajeel dropped his guard, letting the tip of his sword waver. Lily capitalized on his inattention - a deft twist and flick, he divested Gajeel of his weapon. It fell with a loud clatter. "Looks like I won." His smile was both proud and smug. "Time for some talking."  
  
Ambrose strode between the two mages to stand in front of Levy and Hitomi. "I was told to grow up recently." He looked over his shoulder at Gajeel who had moved closer and was standing with his arms crossed, frowning. He gulped but stood firm. "I have something to say."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting to the end of this story ~ I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's read this, and/or commented, and/or given kudos - I appreciate it. There's only one or two more chapters left to go.


	46. Waiting and Wanting

Deep in the caverns dotting the surroundings of the resort town, the real Erza snuggled under Jellal's blanket into his embrace. "I must return to my compatriots. Left unsupervised, Mirajane is likely to have all sorts of mischief planned."  
  
An almost doltish grin on his face, Jellal took stock of his situation. He was warm, free from pursuit, well fed and feeling his oats. "Mischief? Why go all the way into town when I'm right here?"  
  
"You make a most cogent point." Erza rolled on top of the unresisting Jellal and pinned his hands over his head. "Best two out of three?"  
  
"Even when I lose I win." Jellal looked up at Erza and grinned. Right now he was a man spending time with his lover - having the time of his life.

  


"Is that everything?" Lucy yawned and stretched. Natsu gathered her body in his arms and laid his head on her shoulder. Lucy spoke quieter, "You've actually felt bad about this, haven't you?"  
  
"A bit I guess." Natsu sighed and held Lucy tight. "I knew I'd eventually tell you this stuff, but taking the chance where you might say no was scary."  
  
"I appreciate you laying everything out. Secrets are a terrible thing that can poison a relationship."  
  
"Yeah, like bad cooking." Natsu patted Lucy's hair. "Thank goodness yours got better. It was kinda touch and go for a while there."  
  
"My cooking was never bad! I just had never used a stove like that before!" Lucy elbowed Natsu and glared at him. "What about your cooking? You're the king of burning things."  
  
"Aww! You ain't gotta compliment me, you already know I wanna bond." Lucy's irritated pout made Natsu want to tease her even more. "It's okay though, you can keep praising me." There it was! The glitter in her eyes grew as self-consciousness fell away. This was pure Lucy about to let loose some honest thoughts.  
  
"Praise? Burning food to ashes is not a positive!" Lucy saw the merest twitch of the corner of Natsu's mouth - his tell - now she knew he was pulling her leg. "You like my cooking so much you wrote it as one of your requirements."  
  
"Uh huh." Natsu shrugged, his grin still blazing. "I asked for the things that make me the happiest. If you feed me, I get to be with you and I love that."  
  
"Makes sense." Lucy cast her thoughts back to when they'd exchanged lists of 'relationship requirements.' "You must want to be around me all the time if we're always having meals with each other, sleeping together and playing the games you like."  
  
Natsu nodded. "Your list gave me hope you'd want the bond. When you asked for hand holding, I wasn't sure how to feel about that - but now I know nothing makes me feel more like your boyfriend than that. It hasn't been easy to give you full communication - but I have been honest." He chuckled and booped Lucy on the nose. "It's a bit funny how you asked for commitment and I can't wait to commit."  
  
"Well, I had no idea about those dragon relationship needs." Lucy tried to keep her smile contained but it was a hopeless endeavour. "I appreciate you being as open and honest about everything as you could, Natsu. I'm going to think about everything you told me with the seriousness it deserves. There's no way I want to ruin what we have with a hasty decision."  
  
"I never thought you would." Natsu pressed a kiss at Lucy's hairline over her ear, then more on the shell of that ear. Taking the lobe between his teeth, he pulled gently and blew a puff of air. Lucy shivered and Natsu held her tighter in his grip. "Whatever you decide Lucy, whatever you decide - I'll never not be your friend."  
  
Turning and leaning just the littlest bit forward, Lucy connected her lips to Natsu's and instigated a deep kiss. It was a mix of innocent intentions and pure lust. Lucy felt connected body and soul to her partner. Her heart thundered in her chest as if she were exerting herself in a fight. But this was love - and she wanted to give Natsu proof of how deep and abiding her love was for him.  
  
Lucy squirmed against Natsu's body, wanting, no - needing his warmth. Each kiss they shared was just a tease when what they both desired was physical union. Natsu rolled onto his back and hauled Lucy overtop his body, pushing her to straddle his hips.  
  
"I can't take much more without asking for your answer to bond."  
  
"I - I want you so much." Lucy shivered. Natsu's eyes seemed to glow and that made Lucy both cold and warm. She wanted to discard her clothes and luxuriate within his arms. She'd promised him and herself to consider her answer - but really, hadn't she been thinking about them being together in a romantic sense for years already?  
  
"You're worth waiting for." Natsu bucked up once, twice and then lay still.  
  
"Thank you for saying that." Love lit Lucy's eyes. "It's not a burden exactly, being the decider - but I want you to know that I'll never not be your friend either." Lucy kissed Natsu again, this kiss a sweet brushing of lips signalling her appreciation of his kind nature.  
  
"I couldn't ask for more than that," Natsu purred - happy and content with his position (underneath Lucy was something he'd fantasized at length about after all). "Got any idea of how soon you're gonna let me know when I get to dip my wick?"  
  
Lucy huffed and smacked his shoulder. "Where did you hear that phrase?"  
  
"Do you really care?" Natsu laughed, grabbed Lucy on her upper arms and hauled her into a smacking loud kiss. "But if you're mad, direct your ire to Wakaba and Macao."

  


Juvia sank her fingers into Gray's hair, pressing against his skull. His lips were warm and demanding against hers - if this was a dream she didn't want to ever wake. His own hands cupped her derriere and a low moan showed his appreciation.  
  
Panting she pulled back. Eyes wide and bright as her cheeks, Juvia stared at Gray. "Juvia is enjoying the picnic."  
  
"Gray is enjoying Juvia." The faint lines around his eyes crinkled as he smiled. "This is everything and more I was dreaming of when you ran your hands over my body during our massage photo shoot."  
  
Juvia shivered, the pit of her stomach fluttering from what seemed to be thousands of butterflies. "Juvia is happy to be the first person on a picnic with Gray."  
  
"Worried about firsts?"  
  
The water mage blinked rapidly and looked away to answer. "N-no, Juvia isn't concerned about Gray's firsts." She leaned against the ice mage and wrapped her arms around him. "Juvia is worried about Juvia."  
  
"What do you mean?" Gray was puzzled and he let is show in his soft questioning voice. "Everyone has firsts at different times for different things all through their lives."  
  
"I, I am not a virgin." Juvia tensed, ready to push herself off Gray and run.  
  
"And?" Gray was perplexed. "What's that got to do with anything?" He knew this was significant for her, she'd used 'I', after all - this was important and should be treated as such. "You're the person you are today from all the choices and events that shaped your life before we ever met. I love Juvia as she is, not some crazy perfect edited puppet that dances to an impossible tune." Gray prayed his words reached her. "Those choices gave me you."  
  
"Juvia isn't worthy."  
  
"Then neither am I." Gray hauled Juvia onto his lap. "Thank goodness for second chances." He pressed his forehead to hers, laced fingers together and sighed before speaking again. "Do you care about how many previous sexual partners I've had?"  
  
Satisfyingly fast Juvia choked out her scandalized answer. "No!"  
  
"Do you care how many people I've loved? Or even how many people I will love?"  
  
Again, the water mage was horrified. "No!"  
  
Gently Gray spoke. "Then why would I be upset over your past partners and loves? If fate had been different, you'd have been happy and never met me, now would you have? Double standards like that are archaic and stupid."  
  
"Juvia isn't sure how to respond."  
  
Slanting his mouth over Juvia's, Gray kissed her deeply. "Respond honestly - like your sweet kiss - that's all I want."  
  
"Gray is all Juvia wants!"  
  
Gray moaned as he and Juvia exchanged passionate kisses, coffee and snacks forgotten as they twined about each other on the picnic blanket. Juvia's soft hands on his body was a sweet magic and Gray needed more.

  


Wendy beamed at Lily. "I really think Gajeel and Levy will like this!" She swung the bag containing the gift with enthusiasm. "That shopkeeper really knew what he was talking about. I'm amazed he could understand so fast what you wanted."  
  
"I guess years of being in the same business sharpened his skills." Lily smiled back at the sky dragon slayer. "And having the sorts of items they both liked in his shop had to help, ghee hihi!"  
  
"Oh look!" Wendy pointed to a widely smiling Erza appearing from around a corner. "Mira's, I mean Erza is done taking photos of Happy and Charle."  
  
A shiver ran over Lily's fur. The red-head was smiling - but not with the whimsical style Mira employed. She looked… different - subtly different. And she was holding the hand of a man wearing a shrouding cloak. Lily gulped. "Wendy, what do you smell?"  
  
The diminutive slayer dutifully inhaled, closing her eyes to concentrate. "That's not Mira - it's the real Erza and Jellal!"  
  
"We need to get back to the hotel."

  


Lucy angled her neck, allowing Natsu better access to her nape. His hands stayed clutching her breasts - and she moaned as he gently nipped her flesh. She twisted in his embrace, turned to face him - eyes wide and sparkling. "Why have we been waiting?" Lucy set her hands to lay flat on Natsu's chest. "We've lost so much time." She began to trace his impressive muscles.  
  
"I don't think the time was lost, Luce." Natsu loved the hazy and amorous glint in her big brown eyes. "Neither of us was ready then - but now I'd have to guess you are."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I'm not saying stop, but you'd never have thought to touch me below the belt like this before."  
  
Lucy let her jaw drop, snatched her hands back, recovered (some of her wits) and stuttered. "S-s-s-sorry!"  
  
"Relax, I like it." He wriggled his hips. "I like it more than fire."

  


Tim shuffled the prints, trying to order them from most to least innocent. "Fucking George, always gotta ruin my fun." He crossed his legs, continuing to flip rapidly. "I could use ten minutes and that picture of Lucy's pert, plump ass. Heh, really - maybe only five - if it showed more."  
  
Laying out the photos on the desk in conference room B, Tim talked to himself. "Gray is more handsome, but Gajeel has the better body. Lucy has the nicest tits, but I bet Juvia would submit to more lurid shots. Levy has a bangin' ass, but nothing up top." He set down the next picture and licked his lips. "Natsu has got a certain impish quality - I bet lots of people would feel the same."  
  
"I will never let you have those up skirt shots of Natsu and Lucy."  
  
Hiding his surprise at being interrupted, Tim continued to discuss his thoughts out loud. "Don't you think Natsu hasn't had his sexual awakening? Right now, he's for sure in his prime, but I get the feeling he's …" Tim looked up from his work and winked at George. "He hasn't boned it out with Lucy."  
  
"Ugh. You are so crude."  
  
"Tch. And I thought you were gonna be so proud of me for using her name." Tim rolled his eyes. "He's gotta have some sort of insane control to not take what Blondie's body was meant for."  
  
"I'd punch you for saying that, but I know you're just trying to get a rise out of me. You'd like nothing better than to have an excuse to confiscate my photos after getting me fired." George glared at Tim - who was openly smirking. "I knew it."  
  
"Oh, don't be like that, I'm not as cunning as you're imagining." Dropping his attention back to the pictures, Tim pulled out one that only showed Levy's feet on the massive muscles of Gajeel's back. "This does make me consider doing the special spread in close-ups." His chair creaked as he settled back and sighed. "Then people could imagine themselves in these positions without the distraction of that slayer's sullen face."  
  
George crossed his arms, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I came here to tell you to be careful with what you say to the mages."  
  
"Aww! You do care about me." Tim selected another picture, this one of Gray and Juvia. "Ice stud looks a little less serious here, don't you think?"  
  
"I know you don't care about my opinion - but I care about our magazine's reputation. I told you once already, don't push these people too hard or you will regret it."  
  
"Duly noted, leave." Tim waved George off. "I think I'm going to let their performances at dinner help me decide who gets the special spread."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You'll find out." Tim spread out his favourite pictures in front of him, pulled his notebook closer and picked up a pen. George still hadn't moved. "You may go."  
  
"I mean it, they aren't the usual models who are using the magazine as an opportunity. These couples are special."  
  
Tim looked up. He hadn't ever seen George this adamant over anything else. "Yeah, yeah - special. I got it. Now run along because I have work to do."  
  
Just before the door closed behind him, George stuck his head back into the room. "You should respect all of them."  
  
"Thwwwpp." Tim made a rude gesture that went along with the noise he made. "I'm in business to make money, not friends."  
  
George silently blinked at the journalist and then pulled the door closed with a mild 'thump.' He'd done his best to help Tim - but the man was a sleaze through and through. Tim would reap what he'd sown.

  


Levy giggled again, looped her arm in Gajeel's and rubbed her face on his bicep. "You're the cutest germ-o-phobe I've ever known."  
  
"Huh." Gajeel felt his cheeks heat up a little. "Germ-o-phobe ain't a real word."  
  
"Aww! But you don't deny being cute!" Levy giggled harder, needing to lean against her slayer for balance. "I can't wait for tonight."  
  
"Wow, didn't I just give you pleasure? You're gonna have to wait longer than that. Ain't no way I'm letting Salamander listen in on us." Gajeel shivered, a full-body shake of revulsion. "Bad enough I can smell their mingled scents - and don't get me started about Ice Princess and Juvia."  
  
Levy stopped walking and gave his arm a strong pinch. "Dummy! I was talking about going for dinner. I'm looking forward to showing you off and having a romantic meal."  
  
"Oh." Gajeel blushed a little deeper. "Me too."  
  
Her smile turned wicked, Levy pinched Gajeel's butt. "But maybe those other things were in my head too."  
  
"Just wait until I get you alone Levy."  
  
"Promises, promises." Her laughter floated behind them, sweet and light as temple bells.

  



	47. Acceptance and Love

Hitomi rose up out of her seat. Her intention was to run away - only to quail under Mary's admonishing stare - dropping back with a sigh. "I hope you'll be brief."  
  
"Not hardly likely." Ambrose turned around and addressed the guests. "I'm trying to prove an important point. Who here among us knew early in life who and what we loved?"  
  
"I've always loved my boyfriend!"  
  
"I love vegetables!"  
  
"I wouldn't say love, but I like math!"  
  
More and more answers shouted, murmured and suggested filled the air. Ambrose held out his hand and the crowd quieted. He nodded and settled his hands on his hips. "Some loves stay true and some change - but the core value we admire never fades." A smile ghosted his lips. "My love has stayed constant." He looked over the crowd and nodded to the woman who'd been kind to him earlier - her and her second husband. "As a child I loved like a child - freely and without restraint. I grew and my love grew. I realized that the object of my affection was a multi-faceted person. Her whole life is important to me."  
  
Levy crossed her legs and made eye contact with Gajeel - trying to convey her thoughts. The slayer shuffled closer to Levy and stared with longing. If he could take back his importunate words that caused her hurt he would. If he could soothe her feelings, he would. After Ambrose had his say, if the spirits were merciful, he'd take any chance given and bond with Levy. The bond would open a conduit from soul to soul. She'd know his deepest fears but he'd have access to hers - and love would give them a brilliant future.  
  
Ambrose turned and strutted back in front of Hitomi. Gracefully he sank onto one bended knee. 'Oohs' and 'ahhs' came from the more emotional people gathered. He smiled, more at peace than he could ever remember being. "I'm more than just your step-son."  
  
Hitomi let her eyes alight on Ambrose and quickly looked away. Her polite 'in company' smile never wavered but her hands trembled as the weight of Ambrose's desire roared in her soul. Without looking at him, she spoke. "You're a fine piano player as I recall."  
  
"True." Ambrose leapt to his feet and snapped his fingers. "Excellent idea! Shall I play for you?" Stalking closer to Hitomi, he reached out to her. "Take my hand."  
  
"I don't need to pander to this public spectacle."  
  
"Seems like you're a bit of a coward," said Levy, "You're cheating yourself."  
  
"She's had hard choices Levy." With a rueful smile, Ambrose turned back to talk to Hitomi. "Your marriage was supposed to be only in name to help your family. But like life, things happened and you and my father became a team."  
  
"A team that worked well if you'll recall."  
  
"He loved you as much as he could, but ultimately could never let go of mother's memory. He chose to close himself off from you. I can't understand that, your heart is all I could hope for." Gasps and exclamations from the gathered townsfolk rose to a clamour. Ambrose stepped closer to Hitomi and grasped her upper arms as he made his plea. "Come away with me and be my love."  
  
"Wake up." It tore Hitomi deep inside to be so callous to Ambrose, but it needed saying. A case of cruel to be kind she reminded herself. Better to hurt him now than have him realize later they were ill-suited. "I'm twelve years your senior. That's twelve years older and wiser." She wanted to call him 'little man', but her better nature balked against that slight. "It's a gulf you'll never bridge." She closed her eyes and inclined her head away - the better to pretend disinterest.  
  
"I am awake." Like a vice, his fingers gripped harder. Ambrose let a discouraged breath free. "I can only ask for you to listen." With palpable regret he released his hold. He took two steps backwards and raised his voice. 'I love you Hitomi. I might be your step-son, I might be twelve years your junior - but I adore you." Blinking slowly, Ambrose kept waiting for the green-haired woman to glance back at him. Once she did, he smiled - heart-felt and pure. "I'm never going to not love you."  
  
"Then why did you confess to my Levy?" Gajeel accused Ambrose, going so far to make a fist and frown heavily. "Do you know how fucked up that is? Confessing to someone else's girl?"  
  
"My apologies - I wasn't myself." Ambrose met Gajeel's red-eyed glare, doing his best to remain calm. "My confession was never meant for Levy."  
  
"Why should I believe you?" Gajeel let his lips peel back, exposing his fangs as he sneered. "I've seen you flirt with an endless line of women." His shoulders tensed; to the townsfolk surrounding him, it seemed like the slightest of reasons would find Ambrose tasting the slayer's fist.  
  
Ambrose had the audacity to smile at Gajeel. He chuckled at some inner monologue and stepped closer to the angry slayer. "I called you a damned idiot earlier - and you are proving my point." The gasps of the crowd fuelled Ambrose with confidence. "Don't believe me, I don't give a fuck about that - you know Levy - believe her."  
  
"He's right." Levy glided from her seat and over to stand toe-to-toe with Gajeel. Shoulders back, spine straight, she wore courage like armour. "We need to talk - now."  
  
"We need to talk." Ambrose was in front of Hitomi again, wiping the palms of his hands on his trousers. "One last chance - you owe it to yourself."  
  
Mary, who had moved to stand behind Hitomi laid a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. She bent down to whisper in her ear, "Go with him or I'll share the truth only I know."  
  
A faint panicked smile - there and gone - Hitomi felt her cheeks blaze with colour. She stood up, flicked open her fan and spoke to Hibiki. "Please take care of our guests - I prefer to take care of this personal business without an audience." She turned and strode away, trusting Ambrose would follow.  
  
Hibiki cleared his throat and clapped his hands. "Nothing to see here! Dancing will commence again once the rest of the musicians regain their seats." He nodded and forced a smile to his face. "This party is for charity and I hope everyone keeps charitable thoughts in their hearts at this time."  
  
He nodded to the leader of the musicians who began giving orders to his subordinates. The sounds of instruments performing scales covered some of the buzz of gossip. More of the band members scurried to the dais and joined in with warming up. Within five minutes they were playing a sedate waltz. The party-goers were still talking about the scandalous just passed events - but dancing and giving the illusion things had blown over.

  


Ambrose followed Hitomi. His entire life's happiness was balanced on the actions of one woman who was a master at denying her own happiness. "Where are we going?"  
  
"Does it matter?" Hitomi didn't slow her pace. "Away from prying eyes and ears - a place we can be alone."  
  
"That's reassuring."  
  
"Why?" As soon as Hitomi asked her question she wanted to snatch back her words. Every time she engaged with Ambrose it felt harder and harder to let go - of her feelings and needs. "Forget it, don't answer that."  
  
"But you'll learn some surprising things." Ambrose hustled and skipped ahead of Hitomi, turned around and smiled as he walked backwards in front of her. "I've just learned you want to spend time alone with me and I think that's great!"  
  
Hitomi stopped walking. All expression drained from her face. "I don't want to feed the gossip mill."  
  
"Since when did you care about that? But you can't deny wanting to spend time with me." Ambrose dropped his false cheer, giving his companion a sombre look. "Let's be honest with each other and the truth will set us free."  
  
"You don't know what you're asking for."  
  
"You don't know what you're turning down."  
  
Hitomi shook her head as if that would sort her thoughts and grant her clarity. "You won't like what I have to own up to." She clutched her skirt and held it hard enough to wrinkle the fabric. "The truth will indeed set me free - you'll hate me and run."  
  
"I doubt that." Ambrose shook his head. "I could never hate you even if I don't like something you've done. There's a quote, 'hate the sin, love the sinner.' Perfect, don't you think?"  
  
"That's not what you'll say after I spill my truth." Hitomi headed towards the stairs. "We can talk in the library."  
  
"Sounds good." Ambrose followed Hitomi as close as he dared. Once they entered the room filled with books he closed the door and locked them inside. "Wouldn't do to be interrupted."  
  
Hitomi murmured agreement and sauntered over to a wingback chair, sitting down and folding her hands primly in her lap. "Stand or sit, it doesn't matter."  
  
Ambrose dragged the matching chair closer so it faced Hitomi and dropped into it with a grin. "How would you like to run away with me?"  
  
"W-what?" Hitomi leaned forward, grabbed the armrests and stared open-mouthed at the man who wanted to be her lover. "How can you ask me that again?"  
  
"Eh, it's been harder not to ask. I don't need anything from you but the word 'yes.' Preferably now would be good."  
  
"You can't mean that - and if you knew what I've done, you wouldn't want me to run away with you." Hitomi grew more puzzled as Ambrose smiled brighter and brighter. "Why do you look so happy?"  
  
In a soft and gentle tone, Ambrose answered her. "You want to run away with me, you're grasping at excuses. Did you listen to yourself?"  
  
"I don't need excuses - I have reasons. Once I tell you -"  
  
Ambrose reached to place his hands over Hitomi's. "I love you."  
  
Hitomi shut her eyes and turned her head. "You only think you love me."  
  
"Not true." Ambrose traced flowing sigils over the skin of Hitomi's left wrist. "It's not infatuation and way more than lust." He grinned as she shivered to the sensuousness of his touch and smiled wider as she opened her eyes to glare at him.  
  
"What happened between us in my private dressing room was an accident, a miscalculation on my part."  
  
"Didn't feel wrong to me."  
  
"It was wrong."  
  
"According to who?" Ambrose was pleased Hitomi was allowing him to keep caressing her wrist and hand. She hadn't shaken him off or pulled away - so now was a good time to up the ante. He lifted her hand sandwiched between his own and kissed the tips of her fingers. "How is this wrong?"  
  
Looking at him, Hitomi felt a sudden rush of sadness. Tears she couldn't hold spilled down her cheeks. "You shouldn't waste your youth on me."  
  
"Love is never a waste. You don't even have to take my word for it, it's something father kept telling me."  
  
CRACK! Hitomi slapped Ambrose with her free hand and yanked her other back, cradling them both on her heaving bosom. "How can you use him in your argument?"  
  
"You didn't read the letter, did you?" He traced over the red mark on his cheek. "I can tell you all the important details of what his last words to me were."  
  
"It's none of my business."  
  
Ambrose should have despaired - but Hitomi had fire in her eyes. Yes, she was angry - but she was talking and engaging with him. He knew she cared. Everything was an act. She pushed herself into the back of the chair and sat tall like a queen.  
  
Ambrose tapped his foot and then snorted in amusement at himself. "I don't know what was in your letter from father, but in mine he explained why you would receive less money if you kept the Tildenson name."  
  
"It isn't important."  
  
"Oh, but it is." Ambrose shook his head, watching Hitomi's hands clench into fists. "He knew how I felt and it was his last gift to me - to let you choose without pressure."  
  
"You're crazy, this doesn't make sense." Hitomi glared daggers at Ambrose. "Me keeping or getting rid of the Tildenson name doesn't matter. Not. One. Bit."  
  
"That's true."  
  
"Then what are you getting at?" Hitomi slumped, sighed and looked weary - epitomizing defeat. "Tell me. I don't want any tricks or cleverness with the answer - just say it."  
  
"He wanted you to go against what you always pretended to care about. Marrying for money to help your family, that was for them - not you." Ambrose bit his lip and reached out slowly to slide the fingers of one hand over Hitomi's cheek. "You should listen to your heart. Give yourself permission to take and never look back."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"You can."  
  
"I'm not that brave."  
  
"I'm sorry." Ambrose watched himself pull his hand away, stared at his flesh that had touched Hitomi (for the last time?) and allowed his confident façade to crumble. Tears slid down both cheeks and dripped off his chin onto his neck. "I am most humbly sorry for not being enough." It felt like it took forever to stand up, but in reality it was only seconds. He considered moving the chair back to where he'd gotten it from - but it didn't' matter - and neither did anything else. He took three plodding steps away and then spoke again. "I know you know I took the love potion."  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?" Hitomi felt her stomach churn and her breath come in short bursts. "What can that matter?"  
  
"It seems it doesn't - but I also know you doctored Gajeel's costume with love powder." Ambrose forced himself to keep walking away. "I don't know all of what you planned, but I had hopes of giving you a reason to choose me." It was the hardest thing he'd ever done, but Ambrose refused to look back at the woman he loved. He didn't want her to see him cry any more.  
  
The sound of the door thudding shut behind him echoed inside the library. Hitomi cried; she cried for her youth, for Ambrose and she cried for her past choices. Rumpled, bleary-eyed and despondent, Hitomi moved to her feet. One foot after the other she slowly made her way to her bedchamber. It was easy enough to ignore the party downstairs. She'd never felt less like eating, conversing with friends or dancing with strangers.  
  
In a fugue state she wandered her room, unable to rest. Sudden clarity had her picking up the abandoned letter. Why not read it now? She'd chosen against Ambrose, so why not read? It seemed only fair - the last bit of kindness she could give the young man she dared not love.  
  
The parchment crackled in her unsteady hand. Spidery letters blurred and then shaped themselves as her tears fell. She read:  
  
My son, I love you. It might not always have felt like it, but I did. I've been selfish - marrying Hitomi to keep her as a surrogate mother for you and Hibiki. It was what I needed to keep from drowning without your real mother. I should say, the love of my life that was Himawari. We all have many loves fated in our lives. The real magic is knowing our first and last love.  
  
My first and last was always Himawari.  
  
Hitomi stopped reading, the letter crumpled in her hands. The pain in her heart wasn't as strong as she'd feared it would be to learn what she'd always suspected was true. She lifted her head to howl despair - but after filling her lungs with a deep breath she couldn't release a scream. She didn't love Ambrose's father the way he'd loved Himawari. Noise wouldn't soothe her vanity. Second best was a trophy she could do without.  
  
The letter fell unheeded to the floor as Hitomi ran to her future.

  


Gajeel unclenched his fists and forced them to lay flat against his upper thighs. His shoulders sagged and his head drooped to match his pouting mouth. "I'm sorry."  
  
"For not believing me? Or having our personal business a topic of conversation?" Levy stomped her foot, one hand curled into a tiny fist. Her eyes held a scalding passion as she glared at Gajeel. "Sorry you love me? What are you sorry for?" She trembled with a barely restrained fury. "What good does sorry do anyway?"  
  
"Can we talk?" Gajeel begged, "In private?"  
  
Pressing her lips together tight, Levy gave a tight nod. The fury inside her gut was under control - now. She owed it to him and herself to be rational and communicate, or else she'd commit the same error as Gajeel. Unsmiling, Levy held out her hand and led Gajeel through the crowd to the quiet of the garden.  
  
Under the moonlight her dress sparkled like thousands of stars but Levy took no joy from the splendour. She passed by the garden benches and patio sets meant for intimate conversations. Levy tugged Gajeel across the manicured lawn to the old hay feeder where they'd found the Tildenson family treasure.  
"Levy, look at me."  
  
In all the time Levy had known Gajeel, she'd never seen him this uncertain - so upset and confused. His nostrils flared and his breathing was uneven. Levy watched mesmerized as he knelt before her - down on one knee. "Bond with me and you'll understand."  
  
"Wouldn't you rather talk this out first?" Levy rubbed tears from her eye before they could escape. "You don't trust me - so why should I believe you want to bond?"  
  
Gajeel slumped. That was the only description that fit his posture. Levy's quiet question sapped his strength and made him even more hesitant. "Bonding will give you access to the heart of me."  
  
He sighed, reaching out to trap one delicate hand within his own. Gajeel stroked Levy's soft skin before brushing his lips over in a soft kiss. His wine dark eyes glowed as he made his plea. "I've been a jealous fool, but deep down I know you would never stray from my side. I don't understand everything I've been feeling, but I am sure you love me. It feels like my thoughts are clearer now than before - my jealousy has ebbed now we're alone."  
  
Levy felt lost in Gajeel's eyes. His words were begging her to forgive him - and she wanted more than anything to let his desires fix their issues. A sudden memory sparked as she reached out and gripped his shoulder. "Exactly when did you begin to think clearer?"  
  
His brows knit together in a mighty furrow. "Once we left the ball room. Uh, around the time I took off my jacket? I'm not sure."  
  
"I think you've been under a spell." Levy plucked the spray of orange blossoms from her hair and dropped them on the grass, took her light pen from behind her ear and obliterated them from existence. "We've both been manipulated. As a slayer with keen olfactory senses, you've been tricked."  
  
"A bonded and mated slayer can't be tricked."  
  
"But as you have so kindly told me, we're not bonded." Levy bit her lip and forced herself to continue talking. "Give yourself some time to let the magic love flower scent dissipate and then talk to me."  
  
"Bah! I don't need time! I want you. I've wanted you from our first meeting. Your acceptance is the only thing that can grant me peace." Gajeel searched Levy's face with wild eyes. "I told you there was one thing only you could do. One thing I required from you to settle your debt." He unleashed laughter that soon turned into choking sobs. "Acceptance. That's what I want and need more than life."  
  
Levy gasped. One of her most treasured memories surfaced and she relived the start of her grand adventure with Gajeel.  
  
(flashback)  
  
The muscular man crossed his arms and looked up into the leafy canopy of the sakura trees. "I'm not ready to talk about that just yet. Just know that you'll have to trust me and do what I ask you to." He took a sip of his beer and met her innocent gaze with his intense eyes hooded. "I can tell you the speed of this favour will depend solely on you. If you're not the one to help me, it can't be accomplished."  
  
Soft-hearted, Levy was both intrigued and humbled by Gajeel's admission. What does he mean, I'm the only one who can help him? I'm smart, but there's always somebody smarter...or cuter...better endowed...and the list goes on and on. Lightly patting Gajeel's knee, Levy downed her beer and smiled. "I'll do my best!"  
  
I never thought you wouldn't try your best Levy. "Make sure you do, Shrimp." He laughed and finished his drink. "There's two beers left, you want another one?"  
  
Levy nodded and giggled. "I don't usually indulge, but why not?" I'm perfectly safe with Gajeel - I'm short and not busty and while I'm somewhat pretty, I can't compete with most of the girls in the guild. He's tall, dark and sexy in a broody kind of way. He'll catch an Amazon's eye. She took a small sip of her second beer and set it down in order to gather the food containers and repack the picnic basket. Gajeel sat cross legged, nursing his beverage and watched Levy busy herself cleaning.  
  
"Say, why wasn't Lily with you tonight?" Levy mused quietly. "Ever since you met in Edolas, you two have been nearly inseparable."  
  
"Gi he he! No one, not even me tells Lily what he can or can't do!" Taking another swig of his beer, Gajeel inched a little closer to Levy. "He takes off with Charle and Happy sometimes. Why do you ask?"  
  
Feeling anxious under the steely gaze of the Iron dragon slayer, the petite girl flushed. "No special reason, just making conversation. We're nakama and I don't think we've ever spent this much time together just us...alone." Levy gave a bland smile as she uttered the word 'alone', trying to gauge Gajeel's thoughts. If Lucy and Natsu can finally hook-up, then I can too. Gajeel can be practice - he still feels guilty for what he did to my team when we first met. I might owe him a favour, but he subconsciously feels a deep obligation for hurting me. This will do nicely. "Hanging out with Erza and the others is different. Speaking of that, how was that new bakery?"  
  
Disgruntled with the path the discussion was taking, Gajeel snorted and took his time replying. "Next meeting of the Dessert Club will be at the ice cream shop in Gray's neighbourhood."  
  
Scrunching up her face, Levy rose to her knees and brushed Gajeel's unruly hair over behind his ear and examined his ear. He faintly blushed and half-heartedly pushed Levy's delicate hands away from his head. "Oi! What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"I was checking to see if you had potatoes growing in your ear, preventing you from understanding my questions. I asked how the new bakery was, and you deflected with a statement. What happened at the bake shop?"  
  
"Nothin' much. Ate a bunch of sugary crap and listened to Erza pontificate over the merits of chocolate ganache versus vanilla cream filling. Juvia was kinda quiet this time though, she was busy scribbling on a bunch of napkins and when the Salamander wandered into the shop, he stank of mating pheromones."  
  
Levy plopped down, feeling stunned. Embarrassment was forefront in her mind and then anger sparked to life within her. "You mean that you could smell that he and Lucy had been together and were a couple? If you could tell, then any other dragon slayer could have smelt the truth...and that means Lucy would never have been sure who spilled the beans!"  
  
"I told you it was a stupid idea from the get go, Shrimp." He ran one large hand through his unruly hair and sighed. "I guess I can release you from my debt. Never figured you for a whelsher though." Gajeel put his empty drink container into the basket and started to push himself up.  
  
Levy grabbed a lock of his hair and yanked. "I am not a whelsher. You did what I asked and I will fulfill all obligations." She glared up at his stoic face. "I don't know what it is about you, but you make me...not myself."  
  
(end flashback)  
  
Levy collapsed into Gajeel's embrace. "All you wanted was me to love you, isn't that right?"  
  
"Acceptance and love, things you have in abundance Levy." Gajeel held Levy with care, afraid the woman would run from him and afraid she'd curse his very existence. "Bond with me and you'll never have to doubt me again." He let out a shuddery breath. "But maybe you've thought the better of it."  
  
"What do I need to do?"  
  
"Are you saying yes?"  
  
"Stupid Gajeel, there's no way I'd say no." Tears brimmed in Levy's eyes but her joy outshone the fear. "You're not as bad as you think you are. I'm in love with you just as much as you're in love with me."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes." Levy nodded for emphasis. "Really."


	48. The Plot Thickens

Lily and Wendy ran back to the resort, anxious to warn Lucy, Levy and Juvia - so much so they ran into a tall dark haired man holding the hand of a woman with waving brown hair. The man fell, rolled onto his side and clutched his knee.  
  
"I am so sorry!" Both Wendy and Lily rushed to apologize.  
  
The couple looked up. Lily recognized Millianna and her boyfriend, Kai. Milli sprang to her feet and grabbed Wendy and Lily in an energetic hug.  
  
"Aww! Kai, look! It's Pantherlily and sweet little Wendy!"  
  
Slowly Kai regained his feet, tugging on Milli's arm after her embrace made both slayer and exceed turn red in the face from the tight squeeze. "Let go, they've had enough!" He smiled through his embarrassment. "The water balloon volleyball game was something else, huh?"  
  
"Very intense." Lily patted himself down, checking for bruises. "But fun. I'm so sorry we knocked you down! Are you okay?"  
  
"I would've liked to be there for that." Wendy smiled brightly. "But Charle and I had fun shopping."  
  
"I'm okay." Kai explained to Lily, "You didn't hurt my knee - it was injured a while ago and it hasn't healed right."  
  
"The stores here are amazing!" Millianna clapped her hands and bounced in place. "Not enough pet stores, but there never are." She winked at Kai and giggled.  
  
Gazing besotted at Milli, Kai wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "This vacation has been the best."  
  
"I could use my sky dragon magic and try to give your healing a boost." Wendy offered shyly. "We were in such a hurry to get to our rooms we were careless."  
  
"We have plans right now, but I'd accept your help later if you didn't mind."  
  
Wendy nodded. "We leave soon, so maybe tonight after dinner? I know we're eating in the fancier restaurant here at Happy Fun Time Land."  
  
"Sounds good - I can always call your room." Kai laced fingers with Millianna who moved closer and brushed a kiss to his cheek. "See ya later then!"  
  
"Bye!" Milli waved at Wendy and then Lily who stepped behind the dragon slayer. "See you later!"  
  
"Yes, please excuse us - we have to hurry." Lily forced a smile, took Wendy's hand and pulled her away. By themselves in the elevator they exchanged looks and laughed. Lily shook his head. "Things are gonna get interesting now."  
  
"Yup!" Wendy laced her fingers together and sighed. "Honestly, I'm a bit scared to tell the girls the real Erza is coming."  
  
"Well, she can be distracted with strawberry cake at least."  
  
"Jellal's with her, so make that blueberry cake!" Wendy giggled, more amused than should be reasonably expected at her own joke. She laughed harder when Lily joined in the merriment - both of them feeding of the reaction of the other - chuckling harder and harder until they cried.  
  
Reaching the top floor they exited the elevator and walked towards the two suites of rooms their party occupied. Wendy suddenly stopped to look at Lily. "I can hear Levy and Gajeel are coming up the stairs. I'll take the present into my suite and put it away - you keep Gajeel busy and send Levy to me."  
  
Lily handed the package over to the sky dragon slayer. "Good plan!"  
  
Wendy nodded and accepted the bag. "See you soon!" She sprinted away, making it to her room and inside before Levy and Gajeel came out of the stairwell.  
  
"I thought I might run into you guys around here!" Lily grinned and waved. "You missed out on a heckuva mini-golf game."  
  
"Uh huh." Gajeel squeezed Levy's hand a bit tighter. "What a shame, but we had our own good time."  
  
She gave Gajeel a slow wink. "Yes!" Levy said, "The massage photos were very fun."  
  
Lily followed his two partners into their set of hotel rooms. He was amused by how loud Gajeel stomped up to the door, announced he was coming in, rattled it on its hinges and then slammed it shut after everybody got inside. "Hey, I just remembered I need to ask Gajeel something but Wendy wanted to talk to you, Levy. Could you go see her?"  
  
"Sure! Be back real soon." Levy smiled sweetly at Gajeel, and beckoned him closer. He obligingly bent down to her level. She kissed his cheek and giggled as he blushed. "Don't forget about me."  
  
Gajeel stared as Levy sashayed out of the suite - hips swinging with warranted confidence. He checked for drool and then looked over at Lily who was smirking. "Well, waddaya want?" Gajeel dropped onto the couch and gave Lily a challenging look. "Something's fishy."  
  
"I could say the same." Lily flew over to the coffee table and landed facing his human. "You are acting different." He sniffed and then took a deeper sniff. Gajeel sat still. The dull red on his cheeks grew stronger the longer Lily looked at him and considered what his nose was telling him. "I don't have dragon sharp senses, but you've finally made your move! Congratulations!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I don't wanna broadcast it so much."  
  
"Ah yes, the inevitable teasing." Lily nodded, a thoughtful look on his face - then he cracked a massive grin. "Today you are a man."  
  
"Oh? Was he a woman yesterday?"  
  
Lucy emerged from behind Natsu and put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Careful - any teasing you dish out is sure to come back two-fold."  
  
Natsu considered this piece of information and smiled at Lucy, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "And that is why you are the best, always looking out for me."  
  
Gajeel groaned and gagged, holding his hands on his stomach. "Urgh. You two are sickeningly sweet."  
  
"I have to disagree." Lily turned to face Natsu and Lucy. "You are like puzzle pieces - each having what the other lacks and a perfect fit for each other."  
  
Lip jutting out in a giant pout, Gajeel stared at Lily. "Hey! Doncha got nothing nice to say about me an Levy?"  
  
"Hmm." Lily rubbed his chin, deep in thought. He snapped his fingers and nodded. "I could most definitely say you don't let the grass grow under your feet!'  
  
"Thanks for nothin'," Gajeel groused. "The grass will be growing from now until I get her alone again."  
  
Lucy linked hands with Natsu and walked over to sit with him on the couch opposite from where Gajeel was slouching. "Something tells me I should go talk with Levy."  
  
Nostrils flaring, Natsu leaned forward and inhaled. The more air he tasted, the bigger and smarmy-er his smile grew. "Yeah, you should go and hang out with Levy for a bit. I think it's time for some guy talk."  
  
Lucy quirked a brow at Gajeel's expression, a mix of 'what the fuck, Natsu wants to chat about guy-stuff' and horrible embarrassment. Taking pity on him, she jumped to her feet. "Natsu, I'll be back soon."  
  
"Sure." He lifted his head and accepted a brief kiss from Lucy who then said her good-byes and left the suite of rooms. Once the door shut behind her Natsu sat back, crossed his arms and gave Gajeel a challenging look.  
  
"What?!" Gajeel snapped, "Don't look at me like that."  
  
"Oh? And what way should I look at a guy who has to hurry and have sex to make sure his choice can't change her mind? Scared much?"  
  
"Oh, like you're not terrified Lucy will smarten up and decide to toss your stupid ass to the curb." Gajeel frowned. "You're damn eager to get her to commit to the bond."  
  
"At least I've told her about it."  
  
Lily watched the two slayers act like fighting cats, all but hissing and clawing at each other. "That's enough! Can't we all get along?"  
  
The door to the suite opened, Gray and a red-cheeked Juvia strode inside. "Who's not getting along?"  
  
"More like who's getting along extremely well." Natsu propped his feet up on his edge of the coffee table. "Gajeel -"  
  
The iron dragon slayer interrupted Natsu. "I wanted a chance to talk with the guys for a bit." Gajeel softened his expression for Juvia. "Juvia, why don't you go hang out with the girls in Wendy's room?"  
  
Juvia read the tension between Gajeel and Natsu. Both were acting more strange than usual. She nodded and took a step backwards but was stopped by Gray who snapped out a hand to grab hers. She blinked mutely at him.  
  
Gray ignored everyone else. "We'll finish our talk later, okay?"  
  
An 'eep' escaped the girl as Gray brushed a kiss on her forehead. Juvia nodded and dashed out of the room. He turned back to his friends, hands now shoved in his pants pockets. "So, what's up?"

  


"Erza is here at the resort," Wendy announced as calmly as she could (which wasn't very). "Me and Lily saw her with Jellal heading in this direction."  
  
Levy asked with a quaver in her voice, "Are you sure?" She drew her legs up onto the chair and sat there hugging herself. "I thought I'd have more time!"  
  
"Time for what?" Juvia was curious about the scene she'd witnessed with the boys but was also preoccupied with her own drama with Gray. He'd acted accepting of her reveal - but it would be good to think about something else. "And Jellal is with her?"  
  
Lucy handed out juice to her friends. "Having Erza back means having to explain Mira to the boys. Do we tell them Mira was here the whole time?"  
  
"I didn't think of that at all! Whatever we say, we need Erza to agree… If we cover it up or just hope the boys don't ask any questions." Wendy's eyes started to swirl around and around. "I'm no good at lying!"  
  
"Juvia knows the truth is most important. One should not lie to make things easier for oneself, but to spare your loved one anguish - that is more acceptable."  
  
"I have something to confess." Levy took a deep breath and sat properly on her chair, fingers balled into tight fists on her thighs. "MeandGajeelhadsex." She squeezed her eyes shut.  
  
"Ah, that's what Natsu was getting at." Lucy danced over to Levy and drew her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you!"  
  
Levy opened her eyes in surprise, returning the embrace.  
  
Blushing, Wendy nodded and murmured (more to herself than anyone else), "You do smell like a mated pair."  
  
"Juvia is also happy for Gajeel-kun and Levy!" She joined in on the hug, "But it is not something you need to confess!"  
  
"I guess not, but I felt like I was hiding something." Levy felt her smile grow happier as her friends beamed brightly back at her.  
  
"Are you bonded?"  
  
"Bonded? Lucy, what do you mean?"

  


"Getting' awful touchy-feely with the Rain Woman, ain't cha?" Gajeel crossed his arms and did his best to project disapproval. "If you hurt her no one will ever find any trace of your corpse."  
  
"Excuse me? You're not her father, her brother or even a cousin. Back off."  
  
"That shit don't matter! She's nakama and I'm serious." The iron dragon slayer smirked maliciously. "I still know dudes from my Phantom Lord days - there ain't gonna be no evidence left."  
  
"Hey, instead let's talk about how Levy hasn't been told about bonding."  
  
"Fuck off Salamander, I'll tell her when the time is right." Gajeel frowned, his aura turning dangerous shades of mottled poisoned green and black. "She can damn well choose for herself."  
  
"Duh. Only assholes don't give their potential match free choice. She's down to two choices now though. You've given her all you could - you reek of sex."  
  
"And you have the nerve to fucking lecture me? That's damn rich." Gray glowered at Gajeel. "What goes on between me and Juvia is our business. And it sounds like from what the Idiot says, you didn't even give Levy full disclosure." His eyes flashed with ire. "That's the worst."  
  
"We talked and it was a mutual decision." Gajeel sneered and could only bring himself to look at Gray briefly before reaching for Lily and cuddling. "She wanted it just as much as I did." He made a 'harrumph' of exasperation. "Levy doesn't do anything she hasn't thought through."  
  
"How can she think through on something you ain't told her?" Natsu crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "You better tell her before Lucy shares what I told her about bonding."  
  
Gajeel paled and clutched his stomach. Gray laughed - an evil chortle worthy of the most depraved member of a dark guild. Gajeel was due payback for his heavy-handedness over Juvia. "Not feeling good? Didn't give your woman all the information she needed?"  
  
"Levy knows full well who I am and what I'm like." Gajeel snarled his words. "I have always been a bastard - in my Phantom Lord days and right fucking now."  
  
"Calm down." Natsu crossed his legs and rolled his eyes. "Levy's smart, she's prolly figured out shit you ain't thought of - but you gotta own up to making a move and pushing past the refusal."  
  
"Refusal?" Gray crossed his arms after he plopped down next to Natsu to glare ferociously at the iron dragon slayer. "You didn't give Levy a chance to say no?"  
  
"She was never gonna say no, but yeah, I did fucking ask - there's no way I'd trample over what she wants like an asshole."  
  
"Well, aren't you acting like I did the very same?" Gray let his disdain show. "You think I'm gonna force Juvia into having sex with me." The ice mage sighed and frowned. "I would never want that, what kind of an asshole do you think I am?"  
  
"Heh. Don't get me started about you being an asshole - but I always knew you were soft for Juvia." Natsu said, "She's been beggin' for it from you since always."  
  
"Shut your fucking mouth Natsu. Juvia is a sweet girl and you better never say anything about her ever."  
  
"Maybe I won't haffta kill ya." Gajeel let Lily wriggle free from his hold. "You seem to value Rain Woman. As long as you keep doin' that, then I won't be forced to teach you any lessons."  
  
"Thanks." Gray delivered his line flat and gave Gajeel the stink-eye. "She just might as easily kick your ass for bothering me, ever think about that?"  
  
"As if." Gajeel curled his lip in disdain. The honest thought of Juvia being displeased with him had never occurred. "Never." They'd forged a deep friendship in their Phantom Lord days and it had only become even more meaningful belonging to the Fairy Tail guild.  
  
"Pfft. Juvia would disembowel you for looking at Gray wrong." Natsu slapped his knees as he laughed. "Don't overestimate your worth to her."  
  
"Shuddup you dumb pile of ashes!" Gajeel huffed, "Me an' her been through so goddamn much, you don't even know."  
  
"At least I'm not stupid as you! I had the smarts to tell my potential bond-mate all about bonding and gave her the choice."  
  
"You guys are fuckin' nuts." Gray looked at Natsu, at Gajeel and back to Natsu. "I suppose that's just part and parcel of being dragon slayers."  
  
"You aren't any better." Natsu gave Gray a keen inquisitive glare. "You could have been closer to Juvia from the very beginning. It's taken you fucking years to figure out you like her. You're the one who's fuckin' nuts."  
  
Gajeel growled, "We gotta stop fighting ."  
  
Gray rolled his eyes and asked, "Now why is that?"  
  
"Unhappy women equals dry dicks." All three men let their jaws drop and turned to gape at Pantherlily. The exceed shrugged and repeated his warning using polite words. "Make your women angry and you will suffer."

  


Erza stopped in front of a giant display of sweets, her breath fogging over the plate glass of the shop windows. Jellal gave her an indulgent smile and waited for a minute before asking her if she wanted to go inside.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Exiting the shop with a full bag of sugary treats, Jellal held hands with his newly official girlfriend. This was nice, this was a happy occasion. He watched the crowd of relaxed vacationers going about their business and then his eyes drew back to Erza. Radiant, glowing like a goddess - his queen. Ahh. "We should celebrate."  
  
Erza giggled and blushed. "You are so bold! I promised myself to wait for marriage, but if you feel that strongly, then as a proper girlfriend I must -"  
  
"I mean, we s-s-should celebrate with a date - like a m-meal - in public!" Jellal stammered, almost overcome with excitement. Physical union would be delightful but he wasn't ready for that - he hadn't earned such a gift. Together in the cave they'd come close, but only played at expressing their love.  
  
"Then allow me to reserve a table at -"  
  
"Wherever you like." Jellal smiled at his giddy Erza. "As long as I'm with you, I'm sure it will be wonderful."  
  
"That is how I feel as well." Erza squeezed Jellal's hand and began to swing their joined hands with exuberance. "I must set a proper example for my guild mates so tonight we must show restraint - but until then …" She tugged him to her and stole a kiss from his parted lips. Jellal blushed and Erza sighed happily as they continued to walk towards the Happy Fun Time Land Resort. "Ooh! Another bakery!"  
  
She bounced over to begin drooling in front of the new business. With an indulgent smile he put his hand on the small of her back and ushered her inside. Today was shaping up as the best day he'd ever had. A few more kisses and it might be the best year he'd ever had.

  


"Bonding - as in making an unbreakable connection with a dragon slayer." Lucy tilted her head as she took in Levy's expression. A bit concerned, a tiny bit confused and more than a little angry. Determined to do some damage control, Lucy said, "Gajeel must be desperately in love with you."  
  
"Former Love Rival is correct." Juvia toyed with the straw in her juice, stirring so her ice cubes clinked musically. "Gajeel-kun has admitted this to Juvia."  
  
"Really?" Both Lucy and Wendy swivelled to look at Juvia in surprise.  
  
Levy let her frown go and just looked confused. "He never mentioned bonding to me - but he did say to tell him to stop or I'd be chained to him for life." She raised wide, anxious eyes to her friends. "I said, 'sounds good to me' and we," she blushed, "you know." The blush on her cheeks was radiating heat almost as strongly as Natsu could. "We were intimate - I even asked for consent - and he never said one word about bonding!"  
  
Wendy gasped, "Oooh! But he did. Gajeel didn't call it bonding, but he did warn you - chained to him for life."  
  
"Chained to him for life." Lucy set her hands on her hips, lips pressed in an unsmiling line. "He planned the whole thing! How could he not give you a clear choice?"  
  
Levy shook her head. "Gajeel didn't premeditate anything. I told him I wanted him and he told me to tell him to stop - but I didn't listen to that." She looked at her circle of friends, a natural smile reappearing. "I had the nerve to tell him he was my choice and he had to accept me choosing him."  
  
"Well, then I guess he couldn't fight against what he wanted with you telling him he was your choice." Lucy relaxed her stance and grinned. "You told him you decided and his dragon traits took over."  
  
"Levy does love Gajeel-kun!" Juvia wiped a tear from her cheek. "Juvia is so happy for you both!"  
  
"From what Natsu has told me, after having sex, you'll always be his mate, but you don't have to bond if you don't want to." Lucy patted Levy's shoulder. "It's not like you didn't have some sort of idea though, right? We've both read all the books we could find on dragon behaviour long ago."  
  
Levy had the grace to appear shame-faced. "True." Turning to face Juvia she asked her, "How do you know I love Gajeel?"  
  
"Juvia sees how Levy reacts to Gajeel-kun. Levy smiles all the time just from seeing Gajeel-kun. Juvia has been in enough bad relationships to know happiness when she sees it, even if happiness has eluded Juvia."  
  
"You're talking about before, right? Gray asked you to be his girlfriend on this trip. You can't say happiness has 'eluded' you now, Juvia." Lucy approached the water mage who was fussing with her fur trimmed hat. "What's going on between you two?"  
  
Juvia dropped her hands from her hat and folded them in her lap. "Juvia feels like being Gray's girlfriend might be a dream."  
  
Levy, Lucy and Wendy gave the girl compassionate looks and waited for her to arrange her thoughts. They blinked silently at each other.  
  
Slow and even Juvia took a deep breath, held it and then exhaled, letting her head bow forward as her shoulders slumped. "Juvia has always escaped to the inside of herself. Juvia knows she imagines fantasies as a way of coping - which part is real life and which is fantasy?"  
  
As one; Levy, Lucy and Wendy dashed over to Juvia and hugged the girl.  
  
"Aw! Don't worry!"  
  
"It's all real, Gray loves you!"  
  
"Yeah, try not to worry - he admitted his feelings in front of everyone. It's all real."  
  
Now sniffling, Juvia returned the enthusiasm of their embraces. "Thanks, Juvia needed to hear that."  
  
Wendy broke free from the huddle first. "Now what do we do about the real Erza showing up?"  
  
"I have an idea." Levy giggled. "Let me tell you all about it and then we go back over to our suite and I start getting even with Gajeel."

  



	49. Debt Fulfilled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, what a long and thrilling(for me)ride! I'm quite happy to be finished and a bit sad it's over. Should I get enough interest/feedback I'll write an epilogue - but for now 'Into My Debt' is complete!! Many thanks to my readers, the kudos, bookmarks and comments. Thank you one and all.

In the circle of sheltering trees Levy and Gajeel knelt down as if at prayer; overhanging branches filtered the moonlight, dappling their bodies with a mosaic of shadows. Holding hands they gazed into each other's eyes and exchanged simple vows.  
  
Gajeel uttered a short incantation after with Levy making the appropriate responses he'd taught her moments ago. Eldritch energy seethed. It pressed against every inch of exposed skin, raising the short hairs on the back of their necks and arms. Gajeel kissed Levy's wrist, made one swift bite and licked up the small amount of blood. He dragged one needle sharp nail across his own wrist and then held it out.  
  
Keeping her eyes on his, Levy lowered her mouth to his offering. One deep breath. Exhale. Ready. Extending her tongue, she licked. Nerve endings blazed and pulsed in tune with Gajeel's breathing. A double flow of senses pressed into Levy's brain. Her own body felt wrong somehow - too small to contain all the information she experienced. Bright light pounded behind her eyes, she slammed them shut and her body trembled.  
  
Gajeel grit his teeth and let the sensations trying to overwrite his own brain have free reign. It was everything he'd been warned about - and so much more to deal with than he'd expected. He forced his eyes open a crack - watching Levy with her eyes still shut, her face pale but otherwise calm. "You okay?"  
  
Voice low but steady, she responded. "I think so, how about you?"  
  
"I was never sure this day would come, the day you accepted bonding with me." Gajeel moved closer, capturing Levy's face in his hands. "Happy isn't a strong enough word to express all the joy you make possible."  
  
Levy opened her eyes, blinking furiously to get rid of her double vision. "You're my source for joy too."  
  
Gajeel nodded, lowered his face closer and kissed her. Levy clasped Gajeel tighter, threading her fingers into his hair as she returned his ardour. Levy tugged Gajeel's hair, making him moan his enjoyment. A shiver ran up Levy's spine. She could feel Gajeel's pleasure - not as sharp as her body registered her own, but like an echo. If she concentrated would the background noise in her head become his voice?  
  
Wrapped in his arms, Levy felt protected. She nestled closer against his chest, breaking their kiss for breath. Gajeel nibbled his way to Levy's ear, moist kisses along her jaw and then a tender bite on her earlobe made her yelp.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"Ghee hihi! I can feel that didn't hurt. You liked it - you want more of the same, doncha?"  
  
"You surprised me." Levy closed her eyes again to focus on all the extra stimuli she was receiving in her brain. "You liked biting me - you want to bite me all over, don't you?"  
  
"This is only the beginning of the bond." Gajeel shifted Levy onto his lap and touched his forehead to hers. "With practice we'll be able to share thoughts, not just emotions. We're still two separate people - but now we have a conduit to share our inner selves. Feel the love I have for you Levy. This is what you inspire in me."  
  
Levy gasped. In what she was beginning to think of as a 'bonding link', she could feel waves of joy coming from Gajeel. Radiant bliss, thankfulness, determination and a now fading sense of fear. "You were scared. Scared I'd reject you, weren't you?"  
  
"Damn right I was." Gajeel shuddered and Levy could feel a blurred edge of despair from the action. "We're bonded now, and you'll never have to doubt me when you can feel my emotions."  
  
"The same goes for you Gajeel," Levy grinned, reaching up to caress his cheeks. She focussed her thoughts and tried to project one simple thought at her mate.  
  
Gajeel smirked. "I don't know that I couldn't have guessed you'd want to end up in bed."  
  
"Pfft. We don't need no stinkin' bed." Levy giggled as she slithered off his lap and stood facing the Tildenson mansion, her hands on her hips. "I don't have your sharp senses but for me, the party feels too loud and bothersome."  
  
Gajeel scrambled to his feet, stooping to lower his chin onto her shoulder and wrap his arms around her body. "Yeah, we should find somewhere we can be alone."  
  
Craning her neck, Levy looked at her husband. Her husband - her bond mate, her lover and most precious person. "Yeah, we should." Gajeel winked and she blushed beet red. Failing to tamp down her emotions, Levy decided to ignore everything she must be leaking and sending to Gajeel. "Find us someplace secluded?"  
  
"Ghee hihi!" The iron dragon slayer swooped her into his arms. Levy shrieked in surprise. Shifting Levy as she adjusted the train of her dress, Gajeel spun around to face the forest. "Coming right up!" Settling into an easy lope he could sustain for hours, Gajeel ran from the maddening party crowd.  
  
Levy snuggled against Gajeel's chest, watching the night sky shift as he raced. She felt secure even as he zigzagged around some obstacles and jumped others. Contentment had her closing her eyes, only to pop open as Gajeel came to a sudden stop. "I think I dozed off a bit."  
  
"Yup, you weren't snoring like usual, so I know it wasn't a deep sleep." Gajeel smirked and released Levy as she wriggled in mock anger. Taking a further step back, he laughed. Her scrunched up nose and pouting lips were adorable. What was even cuter was how she looked around the clearing he'd found - her face glowing with wonder and appreciation for nature's beauty.  
  
Levy spun around and clapped her hands. "This is magnificent!"  
  
Pressing his hand over his heart, Gajeel rubbed. His voice a soft growl he answered, "I feel what you mean."  
  
Stopping her perusal of her surroundings, Levy turned to face her lover. Frowning lightly, she padded over to Gajeel. "But you don't look that happy. Is something wrong?"  
  
He shook his head, working to lighten his expression. "Hell no, ain't nothing wrong." Levy stared at Gajeel. The little niggling doubts in his gut needed exorcising. Heaving a sigh Gajeel responded. "You're open with your feelings… And I'm not so much."  
  
Levy's peal of laughter rang high and pure, dying off once she saw how unsure her partner actually was. "I know you put on a tough front - but deep down you're gentle and sweet."  
  
"Bonding with you is the best decision I've ever made - but freely sharing my moods ain't gonna come easy."  
  
Levy nodded. If Gajeel wanted to talk more, that was fine - but right now she was in the mood for what his earlier kisses had promised. "There's one thing I know you'd like to share." Holding out her arms she lifted her face to gaze at Gajeel. "Help your wife out of this dress?"  
  
All his higher though processes stuttered to a halt. Gajeel swallowed hard. Levy was an alabaster statue clothed in a filmy, glittering gown. The love and lust in her eyes spoke volumes. She was his; wanted him, and by the gods of this realm - he would have her.  
  
Levy's breath hitched, Gajeel looked almost feral as he contemplated her invitation. Not daring to move and break the spell, she waited.  
  
"My wife." Gajeel reached for Levy's hands. Maybe she pulled him to her, or Gajeel tugged Levy into his arms, but their bodies greeted one another with glorious passion laced with desperate need. They kissed, discarding clothes and inhibitions.  
  
Gajeel's shirt and pants served as a makeshift bedroll with Levy and Gajeel soon entwined on the rumpled garments. Moonlight dappled the rustling leaves of the tall trees standing sentry. The plush grass released its scent crushed underneath the writhing bodies of the newly bonded couple.  
  
Levy gasped and savoured the tang of Gajeel's bite. His nibbling kisses had teased her - now they were demanding her voice. She moaned. Encouraged, Gajeel planted another kiss to the inside of her thigh and gave her another tender bite.  
  
"My turn!" Levy wriggled, closing her legs and pushing on Gajeel's shoulders. "Now."  
  
"That's right. Show me what you're made of, ghee hihi!" Gajeel allowed Levy to position him on his stomach, enjoyed her tiny hands petting him and waited. She caressed his spine. Taking a detour across his shoulders she lightly brushed his buttocks and then ran her hands down both legs. Levy squeezed his calf muscles and zipped over his feet and back to his rock hard posterior.  
  
Levy gave one pert cheek a slap. The smack of flesh against flesh was a sharp retort. Grinning, she hit it a little harder. The sound was pleasing to her - and Gajeel wasn't distressed - he was a tough dragon slayer after all. Impulse sang in her veins and she nipped his other cheek.  
  
A flurry of limbs and Levy found herself on top of Gajeel, his eyes blazing with renewed lust. "My turn again." He thumbed her nipples, tweaking them into hard points. Hands on her ribcage, he slid them down to her hips - lifting her slightly. Levy stroked Gajeel's erection and with ease they connected.  
  
Bouncing up and down on him, Levy threw her head back, her breaths coming faster and harder out of her throat that was drying. This was the ultimate freedom. Nothing they did together to give each other pleasure could be shameful. Levy saw the stars wheel across the sky, their cold light becoming warm inside her heart.  
  
Straining to keep from coming, Gajeel had to close his eyes. The sight of Levy grinding on him was becoming too much. All her sounds of enjoyment were about to trigger a powerful release. As much as he wanted the bliss of spending himself inside his lover Gajeel needed to please Levy. Needed to make Levy scream, over and over.  
  
Feather light touches on his eyelids made Gajeel angle his head and squint. Levy traced circles on Gajeel's cheeks and smiled sweetly. "Am I too much for you?"  
  
"Not hardly," Gajeel managed to grunt (albeit unconvincingly).  
  
"Then keep your eyes open while I blow your mind." Levy slid her hands to the hard slab of muscle that was Gajeel's chest and tweaked his nipples. "I sense you like this." She giggled and pinched them again. "Rather a lot."  
  
"So?"  
  
"Let go and enjoy." After all her exertions, Levy began to pant. She grinded on top of Gajeel - full to aching and yet exultant with the intense pressure. So close - poised to achieve ecstasy and working to sustain that razor sharp edge.  
  
"You asked for it Shrimp." Gajeel angled his hips and thrust in counterpoint to Levy's movements. Grunts, skin slapping and muttered imprecations were soon the only physical sounds. Inside the conduit of their bond, Levy and Gajeel were awash in each other's pleasure. Joy flowed stronger with each touch of skin and fevered love-word. Reaching the pinnacle of pleasure they convulsed with paroxysms of delight. Levy collapsed against Gajeel's chest and accepted his clumsy petting of her hair and back, her sweet smile soon corrupted with a wide yawn.  
  
Tired and replete they slept. The moon continued to shine on the couple - its full face wearing a benign smile. The iron dragon slayer roused to shift Levy against his side and fell back asleep with her tucked under his arm. She was his to love and protect from now to the other side of eternity.

  


"Hibiki, have you seen your brother?" Hitomi ignored all the looks her now blinding white gown garnered. She clutched her step-son's hands and asked again. "Where do you think Ambrose might be?"  
  
Hibiki rummaged in his thoughts, discarding the unlikely ideas - and fixating on the possible. "Mary would know."  
  
A smile blazed as she gushed her thanks, rushing away to rush to find Mary. Hibiki grinned with satisfaction, turning back to the person he'd been chatting with before. "Sophia, would you care to dance with me?"  
  
"Or would you rather dance with me?" Lily chuckled as he joined them. "My friends have secluded themselves and I fear I will be at a loose end for the rest of tonight."  
  
Patting his arm, Sophia said, "And my sister has dashed off to find Ambrose. From how happy she looked, I think my plans to help her are unnecessary." Her lips twisted into a charming smile as Sophia looked back and forth at Hibiki and Lily. "Hibiki has claimed the first dance, but keep room on your dance card open for me, okay?"  
  
"As you wish."  
  
The musicians began the first measure of a fast paced reel. Lily watched Sophia and Hibiki dance with the other revellers. A gentle tap on his shoulder and he turned to face one of the young footmen he'd boxed with a few days ago. "Josh, right? Mary's son?"  
  
"Yes, I just wanted to tell you, you put on a great show!"  
  
"Thank you!" Lily found himself tapping a foot to the beat of the music. "Gajeel was a bit distracted or the demonstration would have been longer."  
  
Another off-duty footman scurried up and elbowed Josh. "Didja ask?"  
  
"Ugh, not yet." Josh held his hands out in supplication to Lily. "If you're free, some of the guys are gonna meet up in the gymnasium and practice sparring."  
  
"Sounds fun." Lily smiled, "I'll find you there later."  
  
"All right!" Josh and his friend grinned. "I'd rather fight than dance too."  
  
Lily shrugged and shook his head. Sophia had bowed to Hibiki, thanking him for the dance and was now heading over. She smiled at the two other men and greeted them with enthusiasm. She held out her hand to Lily who placed it in the crook of his arm and escorted her to the middle of the dance-floor. A waltz began to play.  
  
"Albert, looks like Lily may be a little late."  
  
"If we let Sophia join too, I'm sure he'll get there sooner."  
  
Josh frowned. "Aw man, if Sophia goes all out, it'll be her and Lily in the final round."  
  
Albert burst out laughing. "You were never gonna win anyway."  
  
"Yeah, but the odds are decidedly not in any of the guys' favour now."

  


In the kitchen Hitomi skidded to a stop. "Where's Mary?"  
  
Mabel answered after dropping a curtsey. "She went to drop off a tray to Ambrose's room - he sounded sad so Mary decided to go."  
  
"Oh, I guess I should have checked there first." Hitomi muttered this more to herself than in response to the maid. Finally feeling the awkwardness, Hitomi shot Mabel a smile and said, "Thanks!"  
  
The skirt of her dress swung and fluttered as she left the kitchen in a hurry. Mabel and the other staff working in the kitchen all exchanged looks. Once they were sure their reactions would go unheard they erupted into conversation.  
  
"Ooh, looks like I called it!"  
  
"The missus is finally going after what she wants."  
  
"Told you!"  
  
"Nuh uh, I told you!"  
  
Mary entered from the garden into the kitchen. "Everybody, I need you to focus! This party is close to over, but we have more to serve!"  
  
Mumbles of agreement from everyone made Mary smile. "And if all goes well my wager over Hitomi and Ambrose will make me rich!"  
  
Hitomi crossed her arms and hugged herself. This was taking all the courage she had to stand in front of Ambrose's room - now where to find the guts to knock on his door? Her shifting feet made the floorboards creak.  
  
"Mary, forget it! I'm not hungry and I don't feel like talking." Ambrose stopped throwing clothes into a duffle and plodded over to the door, letting his forehead thunk against the wood. "You're not going to be able to change my mind, it's for the best." He sighed, his fingers tapping an uneven cadence.  
  
Unsure if she should talk, Hitomi cleared her throat.  
  
"I mean it." He turned his head and let his cheek press up against the wood. "Hitomi will never see me as an adult. It's funny you know." His fingers tapped faster, like drumming them louder would drown his chaotic thoughts. "I have to leave, because if I stay I'll always be a pathetic child running after Hitomi."  
  
Hitomi shivered. She'd never heard Ambrose so bleak.  
  
Forcing a chuckle, Ambrose stopped fidgeting. "Mary, I love you like a mother - "  
  
"This isn't Mary." Hitomi wasn't exactly sure where her words were coming from, but she allowed them free flow. "Ambrose. I read your father's letter to you. I've come to a decision. You're enough." She took a steadying breath and continued. "Me being your first love is enough."  
  
Ambrose flung open the door, looking at Hitomi with wary eyes. Almost against his will he took a half step closer to her. "You really did read it."  
  
"I thought I owed it to you." She let her head dip, eyes searching the floor - better than seeing any condemnation in his face. "I had decided it was better for you to find someone younger." His gentle hands on her upper arms startled Hitomi and she snapped her gaze back to his face. Slow tears gathered and Hitomi let out a shuddering breath. "I decided on my own - how could I do that? I want the magic of being with the person who loves me beyond reason."  
  
"Come inside and we'll talk." Ambrose released his hold, stepping back and watching Hitomi's beautiful face. "You're my first love and as long as I'm your last love, we'll have all the magic we need."

  


Hitomi stretched out on the rough blanket and held out her arms to Ambrose, her smile appreciative of his naked form. "I see one of the advantages of youth, ready again so soon?"  
  
"Never not ready for you." He sank to his knees and gasped in surprise as Hitomi locked her legs around his waist. In an attempt to steady himself, he grabbed her wrists and pinned them as he grinned, amusement flaring as Hitomi reflexively struggled. Her hair, already stuck with bits of straw became even more dishevelled. "I think I like this new look of yours."  
  
"Unkempt?"  
  
"Well-loved, satisfied and glowing."  
  
Hitomi fought against giving her lover a pleased smile. Unable to hold it in, she laughed softly as Ambrose puffed out his chest. "To be honest, it would ease my mind if you proved to me how much you love me."  
  
A wolfish smile on his face, Ambrose nodded. "And again and again." He dipped his head closer and stole a kiss, his lips drifting to the corner of her mouth as he trailed kisses over her cheekbone and to make fluttering light kisses over her eyelids. "I love you with every part of me." Ambrose kissed Hitomi's brow. "I'll always give you what you ask for." Into her ear he whispered, "Didn't I find a secluded love-nest in the middle of a crowded party?"  
  
His rough with passion voice made Hitomi shiver. Making an effort, she pulled one hand free and curled her fingers into his hair as she replied. "The hay loft isn't as bad as I'd feared, but you do realize both our bedrooms have actual beds in them?"  
  
"And guests roaming the halls snooping."  
  
"But beds!"  
  
"Strangers and crowds."  
  
"Beds." Giving up on scolding Ambrose, Hitomi gifted him with a sweet smile. "I'll always remember tonight."  
  
"Tonight and every night," Ambrose vowed, "we'll build an unashamed love neither of us will forget."  
  
Hitomi nodded, tears welled up and trickled down her cheeks. "Yes."

  


Shortly after dawn Levy and Gajeel roused to the sound of birdsong. Gajeel grumbled and Levy giggled as she burrowed into his warmth. Levy felt a kaleidoscope of things; hunger, desire and a pressing weight on her bladder. Was this his or her need to pee? Ugh. That wasn't exactly important.  
  
She grabbed his massive hand and pressed a chaste kiss to his palm. "Good morning!"  
  
"Mornin'."  
  
"Mmm." Levy rolled to her side and scanned for her clothes. Spying the dress hanging from a branch she wriggled from Gajeel's hold and ran over to snatch it from the tree. At hearing Gajeel snort his laughter she whirled to glare at him. "Is that how you want to treat your wife?"  
  
"I'm not laughing at you, just your wild hair."  
  
Levy pulled the rumpled dress on after zipping it part way and then marched back over to where Gajeel was lounging on his side.  
  
Openly appreciative of Levy, he smirked as he looked her over. "My wife."  
  
"My husband." Levy gave Gajeel a leer. "Just so you know, as I see it, we're in each other's debt now. I'm gonna need you to love me forever."  
  
"Good to know, I'm not a whelsher either. I'm gonna need you to love me forever too."  
  
And that's just what they did.


End file.
